←Recommendations of BEST LAID PLAN(t)S

This delightful play resonates with such romance and longing, complete with insightful plants. In BEST LAID PLAN(t)S, Donna Hoke crafts fascinating characters who commit and collide as they discover what they truly want. And the addition of talking plants makes for a truly unique play about sexuality and love in a world where labels don't always fit.

A well-told story by Donna Hoke about friendship and lessons of love (often learned the hard way). Distinct characters, relatable interactions, and snappy dialogue make for a delightful romantic comedy. I especially enjoyed Xyler and Anthis–houseplants that add an interesting perspective about what is happening around them! This play is sure to be a hit with audiences everywhere.

What a delightful play! We chose this as a Staged Reading to celebrate Gay History Month, and the student actors overwhelmingly loved the work. They were excited to see such real relationships represented in honest ways that were both humorous and heart-felt. And the added element of the plant characters gives the play an insightfulness in the most unexpected ways. It was a great choice! Thank you, DH, for your funny and thoughtful work!

A delightful mix of rom-com with the absurdity of talking plants - and all the pieces fit beautifully together. With completely relatable and recognizable characters (that actors would love to play) Hoke masterfully combines seemingly disparate genres and creates a moving, funny, and fully human story (including the plants!) that would work on any stage with any audience.

I absolutely adore this play and the concept of the plants as humans / human-like and speaking / interacting throughout the play - it is so effective from the jump in DH's hands. All the characters and relationships feel palpably real - I know people like each of them and relationships like these, making this play feel very authentic and current. I really like the direction of the play and the exploration of sexuality throughout - the fluidity depicted is so refreshing! In classic DH fashion, the characters' flaws are examined with great care - just lovely.

If Audrey II had grandchildren that wanted to get in on the acting game, this would be the play for them. In typical Donna Hoke form, she takes a comedic premise and injects it with such heart. I found myself caring more for the plant characters than their human costars. And I can't even keep a cactus alive. The possibilities on how to pull the staging off are endless and I love that the playwright trusts in stage companies to do what they do best

Pure delight! Hoke's inventive set-up (Hello: Talking plants!) rewards with cracking conversation, a spectrum of characters, ranging from lovable to lamentable, in this swift-moving comedy that asks us to consider our hang-ups about sex. Witty, fun, with depth and a myriad of design and directorial possibilities, this play would be sooo much fun for any creative team.

BEST LAID PLAN(t)S is a delightful romantic comedy that, while staying true to some traditional rom-com situations, still finds opportunities to surprise, infuriate, and excite. It's a thoughtful, subversive examination of the limits we put on our own sexuality. And it flies! Don't be put off by the page count--this was one of the most aerodynamic plays I've read in ages. Such a pleasure! I can't wait to see it brought to life on a stage!

If our plants could talk - what would they say about us? Hoke has always proven adept at handling heavy subject matter with ease- abusive relationships, how we talk to our friends and relatives about those relationships, proper plant maintenance - and here she does it in fresh and invigorating ways. As always with a Donna Hoke play, there are layers upon layers beneath the characters' actions. The occasional commentary from Xyler and Stamenis is delightful and unexpected. "Maybe the plant screams silently" made me laugh out loud during a tense moment. Expect to see this get many, many productions.