←Recommendations of 153

If you could speak to your younger self, what advice would you share? What grudges would you hold? What choices would you forgive? Martin’s play unfolds unexpectedly, revealing its poetic premise with elegance and emotion. Beautifully magical but grounded in a reality to which we can all relate, 153 explores the challenges we face, the choices we make, and the changes we seek in our journey to accept and embrace who we are. Read and produce this play! 153 might easily become your audiences’ favorite number.

What a beautiful, well-written prose. "153" eloquently deals with grief and regret, and ultimately acceptance, in such a moving way.

As well written as Martin's synopsis of this play is I encourage you to go into this play "blind". Experiencing what this play is truly about the way an audience would is a true treat.

To deal with such heavy themes and concepts in a 10 minute is a gift, one Martin no doubt has. I teared up a little reading this. It is at once universal and specific, and above all a lovely play.

Oh my gosh, this play is beautiful. Three manifestations of one man (at ages 18, 45, and 90) talk, argue, and learn to accept each other. It's such a beautiful allegory for our journey through life, and so powerfully told in only ten pages! I'm going to be thinking about this one for a while.

We go through many stages of life and the awareness of it, but Steven G. Martin has chosen three that are moments that stand out because at each of these three stages, we foolishly think we have reached the peak of knowledge and wisdom. But if it were so, then we haven't learned a thing, and in this play we see how much we have yet to learn. The metaphor of packing and preparing for journey ahead is a subtle reminder that not everything we cherish needs to be taken along. Thank you, Steven.

Growing up and growing older - Martin gives us meaningful examples of this. What we’re left with is the wonder of getting to age. Life comes at you in stages and if we’re lucky we’re here for it - all of it. And we like ourselves. All our selves.

I loved the concept of Martin's play as well as its execution. A chance to look back at your mistakes (and baggage one carries around) and look ahead with some hope. I also get the title, but will let readers figure it out...well done and should be produced!

Steven G. Martin creates a meaningful, loving ode to self-forgiveness in his '153', where the version of a character at 45 lectures his own self at 18 as though he now has all the answers, only to be told by his own self at 90 that he hasn't even begun to learn yet. An ode to self-love and care, to accepting that mistakes make us who we are this world, and to realizing that we have never quite finished learning. Lovely and heartrending. 90 hugging 18 and forgiving 45 is a theatrical moment of beauty.

This play moved me to tears and felt like the spiritual experience I've been needing. Martin has written a love letter to the idea of loving oneself and embracing life and all of its stages in this highly theatrical, yet quietly real, play. Truly exceptional.

Martin does it again! I had the pleasure of seeing it performed and streamed on YouTube for the Fat Turtle 10-Minute Play Festival. Not only did the production do an amazing job of capturing the tension of the main pair (which is vast and complicated!), but when the 'unexpected' visitor comes along things begin to come back together and we see the love that is in this piece. Martin does a great job with adding the fantastical component of time manipulation to this sweet tale.