←Recommendations of small town icons

“Gripping & electric with raw yet fully-fleshed relationships… The plasticity on the page is incredible, the dialogue is so on-point for the age of these characters... the circumstances/twists had me turning pages endlessly.” “A catchy tone that blurs reality, theatre & absurdity… Creative & inventive… Wild... based on a real-life event, effectively using theatrical absurdity to highlight lived absurdity… A strong statement about rural America.” Recommended by readers for SparkFest ’26.

A really strong play about dealing with trauma and making amends. No one in this play is all good. All of these women have flaws and are complicated characters. I need to see this play produced with a full set and I need to see what a design team can do with the last couple of pages. Loved how the Grovers Corner of Our Town represents this utopia that Sabrina longs for. A perfect town where she can start over and live her life proudly. Produce this play.

"small town icons" is the perfect blend of the nostalgic "Our Town" with the fearlessness of a Shakespearean tragedy ("Titus Andronicus" in particular if you get the reference). This is a play about forgiveness and what it costs to forgive or not forgive those who harm us. SMJ does an excellent job providing twists and turns that lead to a satisfying finale.

This entire premise is, frankly, batshit insane. Which makes it all the more unbelievable that so many of the major plot points are based on actual events.

What ties it all in a beautiful & fascinating bow are the wildly unique characters and their carefully constructed relationships. SMJ traps you in this small town with these young women, entreating you to not just acknowledge, but experience all the town puts on them.

Just like any small Ohio town, SMALL TOWN ICONS will stay with you... whether you make it out or not.

I absolutely could not put this play down! Perhaps it is because I was once also a theatre-kid teenager from a small religious town in Ohio, but this play and these characters rang so incredibly true to me. SMJ strikes the perfect balance of dark humor, true trauma and rage, and enticing mystery, all in the neat package of a fast-paced, engaging revenge play. This story is delicious, exciting, and easily one of my favorite plays I've read in recent memory. I can't wait for an opportunity to see it staged!

SMJ captures the dark sides of living in a small town perfectly. "small town icons" gives us a friend group that anyone can, for better or for worse, relate to, and exaggerated it to a truly frightening degree. With every character feeling isolated for one reason or another, SMJ throws them all in a room together with little to no escape and says "figure it out." The ensuing battle of words (among other things) is equal parts heartbreaking and horrifying.

While reading this play I was reminded of my own teenager-hood as a young wannabe actor in a small town overrun by "Christians". This play made me laugh, made me gasp, and reminded me of the anger I still harbor from those days. Visceral, phenomenal, and sorely needed in a time where so many of us have religious and social traumas. I can't wait to see this play on a stage!

This play took me on a journey. There were moments were I laughed. Moments where anger boiled inside of me. Moments where I did both. The dark comedic vibe kept me hooked and invested in the characters. I would love to see this work on its feet in someone's season!

A literal jaw-dropper of a play with a beautiful, gorgeous ending. Four girls on the cusp of adulthood play with power, maturity, violence, and, of course, revenge. The characters and setting somehow manage to be incredibly distinct and grounded and simultaneously timeless at the same time. SMJ promises, delivers, and then whirls you around in your seat, leaving you breathless. Fantastic. I want to see 10000000 productions of this!

small town icons feels like riding a cart down the hill. it's thrilling, exciting. it's fun and fast paced. then suddenly you realize you have no control, no idea what's happening or how to stop it until the inevitable disastrous conclusion barrels at you, unavoidable and brutal.