←Recommendations of Closing Doors

In the UK our schools have fire drills, in Japan they have earthquake drills, it's sad to believe that there are such things as active shooter drills in any school. This desperate short play by Minigan looks at the conflict which must arise in such situations, where surely there are occasions where there is no right or wrong thing to do. Do you follow the rules or stand my your morals, a tough conflict well tackled. Excellent.

Are we responsible for protecting an individual or the group? Should a child be traumatized for the sake of a drill? What are the parameters of friendship in a crisis? These difficult questions are raised with great skill and a focus on the human dimension in Closing Doors. The difficult moral ambiguity facing those who face these questions is explored to shattering effect. This is an important piece and an effective piece of theatre.

Very engaging and very real. Makes the reader question what they would do and sympathize with all parties involved in these drills.

Beautifully written. A time relevant play sure to spark conversations and thoughts on where we are today in dealing with the atrocity of school shootings. This play makes the reader question, "What would you do?"

I was fully invested in this 10 minute from the start. Closing Doors presented a true Sophie's choice to the reader and deals with myriad of thought-provoking elements, such as gun violence, empathy, and regret. I found myself questioning what I would do in this situation and reacted as my heart rate spiked at the thought of having to make such a decision, drill or not. I would absolutely recommend this piece.

I produced an audio version of this play on the GATHER BY THE GHOST LIGHT radio theater podcast. You become immediately invested in this well-crafted play by John Minigan right from the beginning and he maintains the conflict all the way to the end. Both the teacher and the vice principal state their positions well, and then the low blows come into play that challenges their friendship. A great tidy piece for any theatre looking for a topical short play!

This relevant piece written by John Minigan is sure to spark discussion morals and friendships and doing the right thing during adverse situations. Tense and insightful, it leaves you on the edge of your seat and makes one think.

An engrossing and all-too-relevant play. Beyond the obvious relevance to the current rash of school shooting incidents, the piece poses tough questions of ethics and values and how to do the right thing in the worst circumstances. It's a tribute to Minigan's skill that the play feels resolved without offering easy answers to the questions.

It is true: whenever I read a John Minigan play I fall in love with his writing again. CLOSING DOORS has a motor in it that will keep you shaking. There is no answer in this superbly written play. How we save our children in active-shooter drills will never be fail safe - But we have to keep trying so long as we allow guns freely in our country. Well done!

What a powerful play this is. Fast-paced, engaging, and heartbreaking, in nine pages it shows what America's culture of gun violence is doing to teachers and administrators better than any speech could.