←Recommendations of Sperm Donor Wanted (or, The Unnamed Baby Play)

A funny, exciting, theatrical piece of writing that, *while reading it*, makes you sit forward, laugh, and cry. This play is perfect for a theater that is looking forward and wants to be on the cutting edge of theatre in this country. If you are an innovator in this industry, READ THIS PLAY, and then PROGRAM IT.

A beautiful, funny, and touching reflection on what it means to be a parent and a family today. Full of hope and humor, raw beauty, and a bit of pain, this play captures the roller coaster of expectations and emotions associated with bringing new life into the world.

Things become complicated on the quest to parenthood and there is a great deal that led to where they are now. Relatable and funny, well done!

So, so wonderfully human. Your family may look nothing like the one in this play, but there is something everyone can relate to in this piece. I love and appreciate the play's rawness. Nobody ever holds back and it makes the characters all the more lifelike. A very special play.

I had the opportunity to see an online reading of SPERM DONOR WANTED, and what a play! Four people, one complicated relationship. Through out this entire play I was routing for them all to find their way, and I was so wonderfully surprised by the ending. TJ Young presents a beautiful, complex, and ever evolving situation, and creates four very well rounded characters to struggle through it. AMAZING!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

What I love about this piece is that it so effortlessly shifts between comedic, quippy dialogue and eloquent descriptions of the human experience through the narrative of these well crafted characters. The playwright makes some really interesting choices with their direction of narrative as it shifts between scene work and asides, and I'm really interested in seeing how these could play out onstage.

The wonderful, theatrical storytelling of this piece captures you within moments and never lets go. The characters are genuine, down-to-earth, and compelling. It's a beautiful piece that reveals the ugly truth behind the real hurt in relationships, but also the love that grounds us and pulls us through the difficult moments. Cliche as it may be: I laughed, I cried. This play is an excellent read and I would love to see it performed onstage. I highly recommend!

There are people who believe having a baby can ruin one's life. There are people who believe the internet, especially Craigslist, is evil incarnate. And if one should ever consider having a baby via a Craigslist ad... READ THIS PLAY!

Read it anyway; Young does a marvelous job of hooking you in with his sparkling dialogue and intriguing premise, and then keeps you on that hook as his characters spin slowly, but surely, down a dark drain of misunderstandings, regret, anger, resolution, and healing. Surprisingly light, and often funny considering how dark it gets, this is a wonderful play.

Young hits us with brisk and INFECTIOUS dialogue right out of the gate, plunging us into a richly drawn tapestry of characters caught in their own web of messy hope. He also allows his characters to break the fourth wall and tell the story directly, an expert move that lets all the dread and complexity of emotions laid bare shine underneath the initial levity of the delivery. Funny and touching, with a few great “holy shit” moments, this play is a rousing, celebratory cry of life and all the unpredictable good and bad we encounter as a part of it.

Hilarious, theatrical, and unique, this piece explores universal themes (parenthood, passing on one's legacy, and making meaning in life) while truly honoring the specific intersectional identities of its characters. I loved the theatricality of the use of direct address, liminal space, and casting supporting roles from within the ensemble. The briskly-moving scenes also had a beautiful rhythm and an organic and hilarious sense of humor. Young wisely focused on a couple of very potent moments as the central dramatic action. The ending was satisfying, hopeful, and felt as if the characters had done heavy lifting and soul searching throughout.