←Recommendations of HYDRA

A terrific sci-fi parable that sheds a chilling light on the disenfranchisement of people of color in America, from slavery to sharecropping to mass incarceration and beyond. The "solution" of HYDRA may seem like freedom, but the play reminds us that the illusion of freedom is no freedom at all.

I'm deeply unsettled by how plausible this play is, which is some of the highest praise I can personally think of for a dystopian story. Also like the best speculative fiction, it's not really about the future, it's about now, an honest and clear commentary on the disproportionate use of punishment against people of color and the systematic destruction of their basic humanity. All done with relatable characters that read as real. When we confront the daily indignities visited upon these characters we are forced to reckon with the injustices of the present moment. Powerful work.

Spectacular theatrical sci-fi. Jelks' world building in wonderful--the picture of this world very easily fills itself in with the dynamic and well-drawn characters. Nothing feels like "just exposition"--it's all necessary theatrical action. The piece tackles so much--the many-headed nature of racism and white supremacy; the systematic incarceration of Black people; white complicity and white "Devil's Advocates" who only further perpetuate white supremacy and injustice; oppression and violence against women's bodies; and so much more. The theatrical tools used--HYDRA personified, monologue, potent character-driven scenes, songs--are brilliant. Essential reading!

Jelks has masterfully created a world that is both fantastically futuristic and terrifyingly relevant to modern-day struggles. Technology is changing rapidly and the laws cannot keep up with these feats of human intelligence...but what if the law became intertwined with these technologies. This piece pulls both the audience and Nat into several different directions while beautifully analyzing the cruel circumstances she finds herself in. Hydra is "Black Mirror" for the stage.

A fascinating concept that explores a world where technology has made human beings no longer the property of themselves and the struggle to successfully get one's life back is a hard one to win. Beautifully done.

A heartbreaking and beautifully written play. The future setting allows the current times to resonate fully throughout the work, and also artfully includes US history into the dramatic structure. One of the core emotional experiences of this play is palpable grief over the cruel external forces preventing Nat, her entire family, and all Participants, from truly living.