←Recommendations of Under A Watchful Eye

This one packs quite a punch. At first we are witnessing a devoted daughter using humor as a shield as she tends to her comatose father. But as her monologue continues, POW, we learn the true nature of her devotion. Powerful work and a great showcase for an actor to demonstrate their range.

Wow. This starts out as such a sad holiday monologue. But as it goes on, we see the strength and quiet rage Angie has for her "Pop." The last line is killer and this would be a killer monologue to witness. Eerily powerful.

While this piece has elements of humerous dialogue you can't avoid the brilliantly crafted dark undertone that exists between this girl and her father. The piece is very well balanced and I think the characters is very well created. It would make a powerful audition piece or a great monologue for an evening of short pieces. Like the character in this piece, the play should not be underestimated!

In the short space of time, we go on a journey with the daughter of a comatose father. The journey reveals the family story and a nightmare, this nightmare, is revealed, too. A well-crafted story of a dysfunctional family. Well done, Busser.

This short, monologue play proves: Karma is a bitch. We can sympathize with Angie, and her distain for her dying dad. Decades of bearing witness to her father’s unrelenting drunkenness, violence, and anger enacted upon her and her mother, have finally come to a close. Perfectly set at Christmastime, with her father in a coma and her mother in a better place, Angie can finally find some peace. Joy to the world!

Angie is in it for the long haul; her revenge is like slowly seeping poison. John Busser's very dark monologue may have holiday trimmings, but audiences will strongly remember its bitter core.

This one really stabbed me in the gut. I was not expecting this play to go where it went, and when it did, I audibly gasped. The gradual shift of mood in the piece was expertly captured, and I look forward to reading more of Busser's work!

John Busser’s short “Under A Watchful Eye” is a holiday kick to the ribs. Angie’s gripping monologue to her comatose father unfolds beautifully, and horrifically. A somber exploration of deep hurt and loss, and how we forge ahead when there’s nothing else to do instead. Angie’s last speech will crush you, and within seconds after reading the final line, you’ll side with her... as painful as it might seem. This is stunning and masterful storytelling.

Now this is my kind of family holiday play: a heartwarming monologue from a loving daughter to her invalid father.

NOT! At least, not heartwarming, or even very loving.

John Busser’s “Under A Watchful Eye” is a terrific short play that slowly reveals the “heroine’s” true feelings and intentions as he masterfully builds the piece to its harrowing conclusion. A great addition to the “dysfunctional family holiday” canon, and yes, it IS my kind of play.