Emily Hageman has a gift for dialog, and here she directs it at a beginning therapist learning that the real world has some surprises for her, and a student just beginning to recover from a school incident that may have been violent (we never learn what in particular). There are some heartbreaking scenes and a sudden turn where the lead character walks away from something good. In short, life is messy. "Heart Land" leaves you wanting more — in theater, not a bad thing at all!

Emily Hageman describes this play as still in development, but it's already full of beautiful moments that perfectly capture the unique pain of an adult looking to a teenager for connection, and a teenager looking to an adult for the same. Could there be an intersection with greater doubt on each corner? Her characters feel like they’re waiting for the light to change without fully believing it ever will. And when it looks as if it could, their brief arrivals at the comfort and insight they seek send them hurrying in the opposite direction.

A lovely and painful play, with some seriously warm, fresh, painful dialogue. The journey of growth is sweet and devastating, showcasing Hageman's thorough knowledge of the dynamics between characters who are trying really hard to just know themselves. And where we expect certain big moments to be going, we end up somewhere else instead, and the landing is so hard but just feels spot-on.