←Recommendations of AMERIKIN

Relevant, bold, surprising, thought-provoking. I was captivated! Chisa is one of the most important voices in the American Theatre. Stop reading this and start reading her work.

This play is breathtaking. Literally. I found myself holding my breath as I read it for fear of being spotted by the characters. It is an intimate play with a far-reaching impact. I felt like I was peeking through a neighbor's window. Having spent the majority of my life in the deep south, I have known men like Jeff and Dylan and counted myself lucky to not be embraced by their circle of influence. This is a chilling account of the casual nature of oppressive hate. I adore this play. It is bold, unflinching, and so very necessary.

A powerful, moving look into white supremacy and bigotry as the actions take on inexplicable form. Well done.

A consistently surprising, unsettling, and darkly hilarious exploration of hatred, bigotry, and white nationalism. When the dramatic focus shifts in the second half, the world so disturbingly drawn in act one is complicatedly thrown off balance, and new and essential voices are centered in the story arc. The play works its way steadily up to a disturbing climax that is both satisfying and troubling. I hope to see a production of this soon!

"Amerikin" navigates the dangerous waters of hate groups and isolated communities, deftly weaving in other themes (from postpartum depression, to racial revelations of DNA testing, to entrenched racism). Most of the characters are laughable and repulsive and yet their stories are believable, even when their actions are unforgivable.

Amerikin by Chisa Hutchinson was featured in NNPN's 2018 National Showcase of New Plays.

I've been thinking about AMERIKIN frequently since the release of the latest report on Russian interference in the US election. Totalitarian propaganda is designed not to further a particular agenda, but to divide us, to keep us from trusting one another, to erode our faith in our nation's capacity to work together. AMERIKIN is not about Russian interference, but it is about the tremendous difficulty and danger of communicating across racial, economic and political lines with rigor and compassion. Hutchinson's story is anything but easy, equal parts welcoming and shocking, and absolutely necessary.