←Recommendations of The Chechens

  • Dave Osmundsen: The Chechens by Phillip Christian Smith
    “

    Constructed with the taut intensity of a Hitchcockian thriller, THE CHECHENS is a tense thriller, a family drama, and an indictment of homophobia. As a tight-knit family's faith and culture force them to do a difficult, terrible thing to one of their own, the stakes gradually and organically build to a roller coaster of a final scene. Props for an ingenious feat of misdirection, too! The family dynamics are also beautifully observed, allowing for sly humor to be sprinkled throughout. Brilliant!

    Constructed with the taut intensity of a Hitchcockian thriller, THE CHECHENS is a tense thriller, a family drama, and an indictment of homophobia. As a tight-knit family's faith and culture force them to do a difficult, terrible thing to one of their own, the stakes gradually and organically build to a roller coaster of a final scene. Props for an ingenious feat of misdirection, too! The family dynamics are also beautifully observed, allowing for sly humor to be sprinkled throughout. Brilliant!

    ”
  • Shaun Leisher: The Chechens by Phillip Christian Smith
    “

    What a shocking and moving piece of theatre. I was on the edge of my seat from the start. Smith weaves a compelling work of fiction about a very real piece of current events. It's deplorable to hear about what the government of Chechnya does to gay men and this play does a great job at putting faces to the families that are going through these atrocities. This is a really strong ensemble piece with great roles for women in particular. I'd love to see this suspenseful piece of political theatre produced.

    What a shocking and moving piece of theatre. I was on the edge of my seat from the start. Smith weaves a compelling work of fiction about a very real piece of current events. It's deplorable to hear about what the government of Chechnya does to gay men and this play does a great job at putting faces to the families that are going through these atrocities. This is a really strong ensemble piece with great roles for women in particular. I'd love to see this suspenseful piece of political theatre produced.

    ”
  • John Bavoso: The Chechens by Phillip Christian Smith
    “

    My body is still tense from reading this script (I can’t wait to SEE it), despite its humor and breakneck pace—but it was all worth it for that ending! Phillip has taken the typical living room dramedy and ratcheted up the stakes, delivering fully fleshed-out characters you grow attached to, all in the context of a terrifying reality in which queer men are being rounded up and kept in camps. THE CHECHENS is a piece that forces us to asks tough questions about what we’d do during times of persecution without being heavyhanded. Read this play!

    My body is still tense from reading this script (I can’t wait to SEE it), despite its humor and breakneck pace—but it was all worth it for that ending! Phillip has taken the typical living room dramedy and ratcheted up the stakes, delivering fully fleshed-out characters you grow attached to, all in the context of a terrifying reality in which queer men are being rounded up and kept in camps. THE CHECHENS is a piece that forces us to asks tough questions about what we’d do during times of persecution without being heavyhanded. Read this play!

    ”
  • Nick Malakhow: The Chechens by Phillip Christian Smith
    “

    An unsettling and compelling piece that explores one family's experiences in the context of the terrifying new reality of queer men being rounded up and held in camps in Chechnya. The characters are vividly rendered and each has such a distinct voice. Despite the dramatic stakes and tension, I also appreciated the human humor scattered throughout. Seeing each family member grapple with their fears and anxieties about Valid's fate fill out a complex portrait of the intersection between the personal and the political.

    An unsettling and compelling piece that explores one family's experiences in the context of the terrifying new reality of queer men being rounded up and held in camps in Chechnya. The characters are vividly rendered and each has such a distinct voice. Despite the dramatic stakes and tension, I also appreciated the human humor scattered throughout. Seeing each family member grapple with their fears and anxieties about Valid's fate fill out a complex portrait of the intersection between the personal and the political.

    ”