←Recommendations of Julio Ain't Goin' Down Like That

A fierce and brazenly theatrical exploration of not just the specific incident at the heart of the play, but of intersectionally-conscious queer identity. This piece had me alternatingly laughing at its genius, gutted by its tragedy, and sobered by its commentary. Through a clever balance of nuanced humans whose lives we were peering into and fourth-wall breaking self-aware characters, Christopher examines how this tragedy's roots are interlaced strands of hatred, misogyny, homophobia, racism, and classism. The exploration and meditation on the idea of community within the queer culture is potent and so articulately expressed as well.

An extraordinary pastiche about the aftermath of a murder on a neighborhood, especially important because it takes a close intimate look at working-class queer people of color. Its wit, heart, and style fuel its expressionism allowing the play to tell a panoramic story that indicts a community's ignorance, indifference and hatred. Playwright Jiménez also shows his characters' fears and desires for themselves and each other, and how the those two emotional drives can lead to danger. JULIO also has the most staggering, poetic, beautiful death scene I've ever experienced. It will haunt me forever.

This may be one of the most dynamic intelligent plays I’ve read in a very long time. An energizing and heart-wrenching portrayal of a community reeling from a tragedy that’s still terrifyingly common today, and a thorough exploration of intersectionality. We are, literally and figuratively, seeing a time, place, and a specific act of violence through the eyes of a community. It’s smart, it’s bombastic, it’s intense, it’s funny— like J. Heights herself, this play is entirely its own. The more people see this, the better we'll be as a species.

An explosive celebration of queerness, a reminder of the struggle that mold the present, a window into latin culture, a poignant and poetic play that demands attention. All of these aptly describe J. Julian's work here. I'm in awe of this play.

Stark, poetic, truthful, compelling, theatrical... a beautiful play.

A gorgeous, moving play that showcases the beauty in queerness, simultaneously a celebration and an intense call to action. Wonderful opportunities for an ensemble of queer actors (mostly of color!) in this work. Its strong imagery and inventive structure serve the play through a nonlinear telling of a true story. Timely and powerful.