←Recommendations of MLM is for Murder (Or, Your Side Hustle is Killing Us)

This play is a wonderful distillation of the zeitgeist. MLMs, true crime podcasting, and the distant but connected world we all live in now. Fun and funny on the page, it's also very well suited to the stage.

This is an inspired dark comedy of bad, bad life choices. the motives behind them, and their ultimate consequences. When two vastly different (on the surface) obsessive worlds collide the collateral damage is intense. Throw in a portrait of the soulless and soul-crushing effects of our capitalistic system and you understand that it's more than your side hustle that's killing us.

Trapped animals bite hard and relish in the blood they draw. When hope is drained and pain bears down, when the world screams into your ears that it will not bend to be kind to you, sometimes it feels as if your only response can be to blow it all up. Capitalism causes untold suffering. It leads people to predatory MLMs, to anger, to us all bending our morals. There's excellent comedy in this grand ride of a show by John Bavoso, and a call to fix our world, but also a warning not to lose ourselves in the process.

I started laughing on page 1 and pretty much didn't stop. Bravoso gives us a fable of logical conclusions to the improbable realities. The characters are relateable, vulnerable, and make some absolutely horrible choices that I almost can't blame them for. Which is exactly where I want to be as an audience member, especially when watching something that mirrors our culture at the moment. Bravo to Bravoso!

John Bavoso takes on so many social elements and with precision and wit and a ridiculous accumulation of comedic elements. Bavoso does it in a manner that makes every character incredibly relatable, believable and in a comedy such as MLM is for Murder (Or, Your Side Hustle is Killing Us), three dimensional. Driven by greed and power, Bavoso forces the audience to fall into the trap of rooting for the wrong people. There are so many underlying messages throughout the show and to see how Bavoso has weaved them all together is the magic of this show.

I am really impressed how this play blurs the line between "heroes" and "villains" here, with such relatable circumstances. There is a lot of humor, but also, I found myself laughing uncomfortably at times, seeing so many people I recognized reflected in this story. Absolutely would love to see this staged!

This has been on my reading list for a while and I'm so glad I finally read it. Echoing much of what has already been said but it's a stellar script, a beautiful intertwining of two stories. Funny and absurd with much to say about our obsession with finding your passion and getting to the top.

The script is hilarious! I couldn't stop laughing at the amazing absurdity of this script. It probably has to do with my connection to the LDS church and the accuracy of the MLM effect on the church members (they all lose their minds just a bit). I like the idea of two seemingly separate stories that end up coming together. This is a really well-written script. I hope I get to see it performed someday.

A strikingly original, poignant, and morbidly hilarious story told through an infectiously charming cast of characters (each of whom is an absolute GOLDMINE for any actors lucky enough to portray them), MLM is for Murder provides an entirely new perspective on "women in the workplace" that is as madcap and absurd as it is gut-wrenchingly real and necessary. This is easily one of the best plays I've read in a long while, and is a an absolute must-experience for all fans of comedy and enemies of capitalism alike.

Fast-paced, funny, and thought-provoking. MLM is for Murder illuminates and strikes at the heart of pyramid schemes, cult behavior, and the angst of educated stay-at-home moms. Highly recommended.