←Recommendations of Misplaced

A piece on the idea that when tragedy strikes, we make connections between the "why" of how it happened that may not be logical. This is a touching story that ends with guards coming down though and a connection over the most basic part of the human condition, pain.

Sometimes horrible things happen and we don't really know the reason. That's the heartbreaking situation Jane is trying to work through as she tracks down her old boyfriend (from 20 years ago) to find out why he broke up with her. An odd action, you'd think, until you realise that the closure she seeks is something a lot of people seek when something awful happens for apparently no reason. In that sense, Cassie has constructed a great snapshot of human condition and how we respond to grief. Its an emotionally provocative piece that would make a powerful performance.

This intensely involving short piece speaks eloquently of the primacy of human grief. At first, the two central losses at the core of the protagonist’s grief seem unconnected, yet through Jane’s process we understand exactly what these disparate moments mean to her and why both are relevant on the continuum of loss that she is trying to understand. Her monologue near the end is raw and simply heart-breaking. A potent short play.

There is something incredibly ‘human’, for lack of a better word, about Cassie M. Seinuk’s MISPLACED. At the core of this play is pain and loss: and yet it is surrounded by a beautiful ‘humaness’, as two adults who once knew each other work their way through a gauntlet of emotions - anger, surprise, regret, sadness, laughter - to come together anew. I’m so glad I was able to see this performed as part of Boston Theater Marathon XXII, Zoom Edition, 2020.

He just doesn’t get it— or say it— but that doesn’t stop Seinuk from demanding answers and accountability. When she can’t find solace for one grave heartbreak beyond her control she sleuths to find some closure from another misplaced wound. Seinuk reminds us that miscarriage is not a bad word and that refraining from uttering it aloud is not a shared privilege. Required reading for parents —and want to be parents —or those trying to support them.

Gut-wrenching and raw - how do we cope with unutterable loss? What do we reach for as we try to comprehend? Seinuk masterfully boils these questions down to their essence in a ten-minute encounter that left me indelibly moved.

"Misplaced" is a well-written take on an unspoken, important topic. Seinuk explores the pain and confusion of the unanswerable question of why trauma happens. It's down to earth and real, handling humor and grief in a gentle balance. It's an important piece that deserves to be seen and heard.

Cassie M. Seinuk’s “Misplaced” is a raw, emotional punch in the gut, a stunning evocation of one woman’s search for the roots of loss. Astutely observed and beautifully written, this is one of Seinuk’s finest works. And that’s no mean accomplishment.

Pain and humor course through this short play in equal measures, as they often do in life, especially in our most painful moments. Seinuk takes us up close on a common, but rarely discussed event, and draws us even closer to the experience through these finely-drawn characters, asking unknowable questions. Nods of understanding will wash over any audience when this play's produced.

Cassie M. Seinuk has written a poignant play that packs a punch. At the same time, heartbreaking and humorous, MISPLACED, speaks to the longing for the understanding of our early experiences, and how they continue to resonate throughout our lives.