←Recommendations of Abandon All Hope

I had the great pleasure of seeing this on stage a few months ago in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. Peter shows a clear understanding of creating a story on stage through actors and on page through words. The play's sense of mystery had me as an audience member and reader desperate for answers. The story moves smoothly from current day to the past and from hell to earth. I recommend the show for any casual reader, theatre goer. I recommend this play for any future staged productions. I look forward to seeing how this play thrives even more in the future.

If you rean Jean Paul Satre's "No Exit" and found the concept to be interesting then you need to read this play. Another reference would be if you like the musical "Ride The Cyclone" then this is also for you. Fenton expertly takes the idea of purgatory and riffs of it while tackling the topic of queer people in religous settings. I would love to see this on stage, you have to read it. Such an easy read too!

There are certain styles of play that not only have you debating what you're seeing but they also generate a NEED to know what's going to happen next. For me, "Abandon All Hope" is one of those plays. Presenting as a cross between an analysis of what 'hell' and the preservation from hell means to some people, coupled with an entertaining exploration of who these characters are that have found themselves in hell, all of that makes Abandon All Hope a play where audiences will be entertained as well as filled with a desire to know what happens next.

Residing at the intersection of gay and godly, this four-person, post-death exploration takes us on the edifying journey of what we might learn about ourselves in the afterlife. Let’s just say - there’s hope in spite of the title! With a wink to Sarte’s “No Exit” and even a pinch of “The Wizard of Oz” self-discovery, these well-drawn characters rise to the occasion even with - or perhaps because of - their human flaws. I particularly appreciated the balanced structure of the play and the ample opportunities to incorporate multi-media. A solid choice for college-aged actors.

Peter Fenton's ABANDON ALL HOPE brings an acute awareness of different struggles, pressures, and ultimately joys of being young today into a gripping conversation. Each character is realized beautifully and the connections each one forms to one another and themselves are very real in a situation that sounds ridiculous on paper until you read the last page and realize you've been lost in the college dorm of hell wondering what revelation will come next. It's a play that keeps you guessing and makes you laugh, cringe, and feel in ways only great theatre can.

There is so much richness to be explored within ABANDON ALL HOPE by Peter Fenton, especially his parallels between life and death as we form relationships. The structure is both innovative and exciting as the afterlife is envisioned as an escape room, complete with a brilliantly devised character in the form of a trickster demon. There are also so many thrilling ways to stage this piece, complete with 'memory sequences' that expand the world of the story even further.

Would you spend your afterlife in a stuffy college dorm room with two roommates and only two beds (sound like hell?) or do anything to win a ticket to heaven and leave the others behind to face God knows what? That’s the basic premise, but oh my there’s so much more to Peter Fenton’s amazing play! The soul-searching journey of the three recently deceased college students along with their demon guide is completely captivating and will likely leave readers/audiences doing their own soul searching. Brilliant!

Fenton expertly maintains a sense of high stakes, keeping the suspense alive from beginning to end. A homage to Sartre, in the skillfully intertwining of external conflicts with deep internal struggles. "Prisons of our own making." Flashbacks and games add depth and layers to understanding the characters. Deeply impressed by Fenton's ability to deftly balance the darkness of the themes with clever and sardonic humor. There were a few one-liners that made me spit out my coffee. The play is undeniably smart and thought-provoking, leaving a lasting impression on the audience and even a little hope...

I'm not sure where to start? This piece is thick, iconoclastic, dripping with irony, and constantly motivates the reader to question every scene. To me, the mark of a good play is one that leaves questions and drives the audience/reader to think about it well after it's read. This is that play. I'm going to read it again. Good stuff!

With dark and playful humor, Peter Fenton channels Sartre to examine the things we do - not only to each other, but to ourselves - that create a living hell on earth. It is a thoughtful, heartfelt, and funny exploration of the human heart, offering both honesty and grace as its characters look at themselves fully for the first time.