←Recommendations of Tracy Jones

I can see why Tracy Jones is getting production after production! Not only is the humor spot-on and laugh-out-loud funny, but the pacing and arc are extraordinary. I love the way it lives in madcap zaniness until it suddenly becomes a beautiful reflection on loneliness. What's so wonderful, though, is that it manages to be both farcical and affecting while somehow maintain a singular and cohesive tone from beginning to end. Kaplan manages to walk this very fine tonal line with grace and skill.

A wry investigation of loneliness that questions whether the only person who can stand oneself is oneself - and if that's really who we're looking for in companionship: ourself. The stage directions by Stephen Kaplan serve as a how-to regarding the tightrope walk performance that is necessary for Tracy Jones - as well as the other characters - for they have an almost Eugene O'Neill precision to them, with the dialogue in verse-like distinction. There is great delight in the awkward comedy of these people interacting with one another. Special mention for Jillie who is reminiscent of a Stoppard character.

I can easily see why this funny and poignant comedy is getting so much love. It works beautifully as a farce--the setup is hilarious and the various gags and laughs throughout land beautifully. What is most impressive is how much all the humor so organically arises from the well-drawn characters and their competing/intersecting wants and needs. This is a very human meditation on loneliness that punches you in the heart as much as it does in the funny bone (which it does so repeatedly and effectively). Here's to many more productions of it in the future!

This is such a fun and affecting play! The characters are so well-drawn -- actors will love these roles. And what an inspired setting, one of those cheesy but beloved "corporate" chain restaurants (but here turned up to absurd levels). Yes, you'll laugh out loud but don't be surprised if that laugh catches in your throat.

Island City Stage, of which I am the Artistic Director, is one of three theaters to produce the rolling world premiere of Tracy jones and I highly recommend it! I loved the play from the first time I read it. It's funny and quirky, yet offers a range of emotions not often found in plays of it's type. The writing is clever and fast-paced. Audience members told me that they laughed out loud and then, later, found tears in their eyes. This is a perfect piece for theatres looking for an edgy, sophisticated single-set, small-cast comedy.

I met Stephen a month ago. Other than the fact that I know him to be a wonderful human, I did not know his plays and hadn't had the chance to get into one. Well, I just finished Tracy Jones, and I'm not exaggerating: it's brilliant. The play hits all the moments that make you not only truly feel for these characters and what they are going through as individuals, but he does so in a way where it's (almost) okay to find the humor in it all. It's smart and witty, and I just loved it. Bravo!

With all the elements of a farce -- plates of food, dishes of dip, pitchers of Diet Coke -- Stephen Kaplan sets the stage for what promises to be exactly that: non-stop laughter and rapid-fire dialogue offered by characters that seem to be over-the-top at a breathless pace. They do deliver so well as seen in the production at Island City Stage. But then, we discover that the Tracys have stories to share of tenderness and heart-strings tugs. Reminiscent of Beth Henley's vulnerable souls, we see beneath the splatter and tossed celery there are people we can love.

What’s in a name… This play is funny and thoughtful. Each character is a gem! The mess on stage is so much fun.

A wonderfully original work that deftly combines screwball comedy with a compassionate exploration of the human condition. Lots of fun and lots of food for thought ... bravo!

Both riotous and touching, Tracy Jones offers delicious physical comedy, funny dialogue and moments of devastating character revelation. The play illustrates E.M. Forster's famous dictum, "only connect."