←Recommendations of Once upon a Train (A One-Minute Play)

Two train passengers in crisis. Two strangers hungry for connection. One missed opportunity. MARCIA EPPICH-HARRIS has given a us a quick one-minute glance at would could have been. Powerful.

A very engaging piece. Despite the play being one minute, we learn a great deal about the characters, their hopes, their desires, and the unspoken sadness that exists between them. Powerful!

If only Tom and Annie could verbalize the desires inside their heads. What a bittersweet little piece about the things that go unsaid.

How different would life be if we lived without fear? Marcia's one-minute play is an excellent example of an opportunity missed. The tragedy of could-be companions squandered due to fear or anxiety. It is a relatable tale of a circumstance that everyone has had at some point.

How often do we sit on a train, not knowing where to look, but can't help looking at strangers, looking into strangers and wondering what their stories are? Sometimes we take the time to stop and talk, but never enough time before the next stop. Marcia brings us a brief meeting, where secretly we're allowed to hear their thoughts and I love this idea. If only they had a few more stops to really get to talk, for I am sure they would get on just fine. A great short play with a lot to say.

We sometimes want so say something or do something, but our fears of rejection or humiliation keep us from doing it. The irony of the situation may be that the person with whom we want to interact but don’t, may have the same desire as us. MARCIA EPPICH-HARRIS says so much with so few words in “Once Upon A Train (A One-Minute Play”.

Worth reading multiple times to grasp the many nuances of the interaction. This play does a lot to shine a spotlight on the many fleeting interactions we have every day and the inner struggles of those around us.

I'm such a fan of Marcia Eppich-Harris's work! Whether she's writing something like this one minute piece or a full length historical drama, you can always count on her to deliver. Good job!

A play that makes you double-think about what the strangers around you are going through, particularly on public transit. I was lucky to see a production during Fat Turtle Theatre Company's Quaranteeny Play Festival and found that its subtleties played well on a digital platform. Would enjoy seeing this in a more traditional production in the future!

This one-minute play is positively Chekhovian. I enjoyed a performance during the Quaranteeny Play Festival from Fat Turtle Theatre Company in May 2020.