←Recommendations of Paletas de Coco or, The Letter Unspoken or, The Christmas Eve Play

"We were bound to him, down to our identity. Like a scar that brands you with a story of who you'll always be." Told with an honest and aching vulnerability Franky has found a way to split himself open and pour his soul into this story of one man's exploration of his past and future. Written with such strong intentions and a clear idea of who this audience is for this piece really brings to life the magic of what theatre is and can become.

This play will change you on a molecular level. You may think you’re sitting passively through a one-man show, and you’ll be wrong. Intensely personal, this self-exposé forces the unwitting listener to serve as witness as Gonzalez lays his soul bare in an attempt to disrupt the curse of ancestral faults. It’s theatre cast as a spell, paletas de coco is the charm, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Highly recommended.

A highly personal and achingly sensitive piece. Gonzalez’s work defies theatrical conventions in all the best ways, yet at its heart it is the opening of the human soul for others to experience. And what else is theatre, and what else should it be at its greatest? Extremely specific, but so much to relate to. The insecurities, the urge to be better, the missed connections with those with whom we should be closest. And let me not fail to mention Gonzalez’s utter fearlessness. Put simply, this piece is a gift to all of us.

This beautiful play has the lead character, who is also Franky, examine the gut-wrenching wounds his father foisted on him before he passes them on to his own son. During the course of the play, he eats the sweet treat that he shared with his Dad during his childhood, the paletas de coco. As it melts so do his barriers, and the walls he had to build to survive. A brave and achingly honest play.

Holy shit. This play is incredible. What theatre is meant to be -- honest and vulnerable and moving and funny and relatable. I am so impressed with how raw and stripped down this play is and still is so gripping and magnetic. Wow wow wow. Great work Franky. I feel like I know you. And weirdly, I feel like you know me. Beautiful beautiful!

It seems stupid to try to write a recommendation of this. It's so much more than a play, so much more than a piece of art--it is truly one of the bravest, most beautiful things I've ever read. It's a soul on a piece of paper, a story told with nothing but blinding honesty. It is gorgeous and sad and hopeful and bleak and I truly don't know what to say. This is a masterpiece. Thank you, Franky.

It doesn't get much more bare, powerful or honest than what Franky did with this script. I don't tear up reading plays, but this one got me 2-3 times.

The ability to speak so frankly and honestly in a piece is not only a sign of great artistry but a sign of personal strength. I think this show is important, not just to Franky but anybody who can understand what it's like to be in his position.

An honest, warm, heartbreaking and hopeful autobiography, Gonzales' Paletas stands with the greats. It's a stunning piece, mining the shadows for their memories, and pulling them into the light, with reversals, humor and love. I had the honor of hearing about this play when it was just an idea - And to read it now, seeing it flourish into an expression of such candor and commitment, is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Love you, Franky! You are such an important voice in theatre today, and in case you don't hear it enough: One of the kindest people anyone could know.

"Paletas de Coco..." is an exquisite and wrenching exercise in vulnerability. At the same time that it is so raw, it is an impeccably written and intentionally crafted piece. Like all of my favorite theater, universal truth is mined from the smallest of details. In having the privilege to read this extraordinarily personal and specific story, I am forced to consider my relationship with my parents and other family members, my relationship with my mental health, and the responsibility I have to care for and nourish these things going forward.

This play is everything a stellar play needs to be: honest, generous, resonant, meaningful, significant, painful, scary, provocative, moving, theatrical, powerful, loving, truthful, and a spectacular evening of theater. Hand me the notebook, Franky: you are amazing, talented and, most of all, loved. Thank you.