←Recommendations of And Other Dreams We Had

I will be thinking about this piece for a long time. It is incredibly devastating in a way that is impossible to describe, but is very much a possibility in a world destroyed by climate change. The characters were achingly realistic, and their relationship was very compelling. Utilizing purposeful and beautiful language, this piece makes the potential impact of future climate crises impossible to ignore. For a more in depth review, go to "A Playwright's Journey" on SubStack.

We all have dreams about what we want and what we desire to be and have. But what if those dreams are too far to reach or to even think possible in a world that is so broken? This play is a beautiful yet powerful and heartbreaking. The way Phanesia Pharel displays love language is so eye opening and captivating! Beautiful work Phanesia!

We have seen plays and films about a world beyond repair but few have approached that depiction of our world from a place this intimate and heartbreaking. Pharel's short play asks us, "What will it be like when we can no longer dream and hope?" You can tell how badly this couple wants to see their lineage continue but they know doing so would be selfish and futile. I loved the moments when the characters speak to the audience and then return to the intimacy of the attic. Would love to see this produced.

What a beautiful play! Love the language first and foremost, how we are led into the situation and the characters never have to explain anything. If you are hung up on exposition, here is your master class!

This short piece has a visceral effect. Painful and achingly beautiful. It's as if the characters aren't speaking dialogue, instead they're repeating words that are bleeding out of them. A gift of a play for any actors ready to completely give themselves to it.

This play gave me shivers that won't quit. An absolutely devastating piece about what we carry on and what we leave behind when we're gone. AND OTHER DREAMS WE HAD is poetic and visceral, a stark look at a future that doesn't feel too far removed from reality.

During desperate times comes a wish for normalcy.

The world has gone to hell, but Phanesia Pharel creates two characters in Jules and Mason who are still filled with long-term humanity: desire, humor, caregiving, and clarity. This conflict is one of the many strengths in this 10-minute romance, which also makes use of humor, poetic asides, and action to showcase character and story.

PHANESIA PHAREL explores the potential reality of a future world in which people are facing an apocalypse. A pregnancy can bring so much joy, hope, and love in a normal situation. But, what if, the world has changed and life is on-the-edge of destruction. Should and could a baby be born? What is there to give to this baby? These are powerful and thought provoking questions in this play, “And Other Dreams We Had”. I highly recommend this play.

Exquisite non-verbal moments, dry wit, and then some of the most beautiful language you’d ever hope for to capture dark times. What struck me the most, though, was the breathtaking intimacy of love captured here: the relatable, lived-in, physical, soulful, small and quiet yet enormous and world-defining love between these two. Brava.

Beautifully written. A reminder that love prevails all. Will pull at your heartstrings and keep you yearning for hope. Poetry <3