←Recommendations of THE BIG NAP

I really enjoyed this piece. Charles Scott Jones takes the familiar rhythms of classic film noir and tilts them just enough to create something funny, unsettling, and unexpectedly poignant. Finn and Hope feel like a lived-in couple, with sharp banter masking deeper anxieties about ambition, marriage, and the future. It's quirky without trying too hard, genuinely engaging, and lingers long after the final line.

Well, that wasn't what I was expecting at all. The back-and-forth was interesting here, non-sequiturs on the surface and yet the more I mull it over, the more funny and poignant it sounds. Our best ideas always come to us in our sleep. Nice to see Finn has someone like Hope on his side to help actualize them.

Three things I love - pineapple, noir, and the unexpected. And Charles Scott Jones gives me all three in this fun, slightly off kilter short play. I especially enjoyed pondering the wife’s motivations and her ability to manipulate Finn. Two well-formed characters and a simple set makes this short a great choice for any festival.

With a nod to noir and tropical fruit, Charles Scott Jones provides a clever story with easy banter reminiscent of Nick and Nora Charles. Will assistant private investigator Finn overcome his nightmare and become a full detective? Will his charming wife, Hope, have her vision of them living in paradise come true? I’m betting on the pineapple! Speaking of Hope, I hope we get to see more of these characters!

I'm a big fan of works that pay homage to noir and mystery, and in THE BIG NAP we meet two characters with that easy short-hand of longing and big dreams. Charles Scott Jones writes them with a skillful undercurrent of both desperation and hope (aptly naming the characters in that regard, too). This is a strong scene that could also be part of a larger work as so much detail has gone into the characters and the expansive world.

Playwright Charles Scott Jones has also mastered the fine art of the logline/synopsis. Just reading about THE BIG NAP made me download it. The originality, craft, and homage to the film noir genre are spot-on and so enjoyable. On a side note, it made me miss Hawaii! Hope and Finn are intriguing, multi-layered characters and that's quite a feat for a 10 minute play. Kudos to the playwright. I'd write more, but I feel a pineapple martini calling my name...

A really great comedy/drama with two compelling roles for actors and an engaging premise. I also really loved the references to old film noir movies. Well done!