←Recommendations of The Invention of Time

A great play about the illusion of time. Philosophy abounds. The characters are very philosophical but also very real. The picture of the little boy brings it all home and gives it true emotion. And what’s more - hope! Highly recommend!

Franky Gonzalez gives us quite a lot to think about here with 2 characters that normally aren't allowed to display the dignity that he gives them here. 2 men, with nothing better to do as they pass through their sentences, have a discussion about what REALLY keeps them prisoner, and it turns out, it maybe isn't the cell they're in. I was not expecting a philosophical discussion here and was pleasantly surprised to find that prison isn't as confining to the soul as it is to the body. Beautifully written and would be a pleasure to see staged.

The jailhouse philosophizing of THE INVENTION OF TIME feels authentic from the start. I love how Franky D. Gonzalez’s use of diction establishes tone, place, and identity in just a few beats. Prisoner and Cellmate have a discussion about time from their prison bunks. Does Time exist? A photograph is an attempt to make Time stop, but it doesn’t. The writing of this piece is so potent with ideas that it doesn’t matter that the characters hardly move. This play makes me want to read more of this playwright before time runs out.

What an amazing short play! Where better to stage a discussion of Time than in a prison cell in the dead of night. This line absolutely took my breath away "You alright locking yourself up if you got the key."

Beautiful and powerful.

I saw a reading of this great play at the 2022 William Inge Theatre Festival. This one packed a lot into its 10 minutes. The playwright did a fantastic job using humor, heart and philosophy, while always grounding the play in a realistic look at an important social-justice topic. And the characters were memorable and distinct -- I could have listened to them have these sorts of philosophical conversations for days!

I had the great good luck to see a reading of this play at the 2022 William Inge Theatre Festival Playlab in Independence, Kansas. A gorgeous piece of writing that resonates with authenticity, compassion, and philosophy. It will break your heart and uplift you in the same sentence. Kudos to playwright Franky Gonzalez. He's been winning all the awards and residencies and deservedly so!

I suppose it depends on where you are when time is involved. To two cellmates, it's a blur, because time stands still where they live. This is a powerful play that lets you know "life is still out there."

In a place without time, two discuss whether or not it still exists and the mechanics behind the control of it all. Powerful and well done!

Time may be a universal concept, but the consideration of its impact on our lives and our perceptions is elemental to the understanding of what makes us human and sentient. Franky Gonzalez puts this philosophical question in the hands of two people who have nothing else but the time to think about it, and in doing so gives us insight to both them, ourselves, and what matters, large and small. It's an amazing play.

This play may only be 10 pages, but Gonzalez’s ability to compact information makes it an enriching, thought-provoking piece that will have audiences leaving the theatre with a lot to think about. Highly recommended!