A deeply vulnerable, unsettling, and sharp look at the way trauma and abuse shapes one's identity in an indelible fashion. The way MacLean toys with chronology is engaging and, even as the story winds back and forth through time, propulsive for the plot and Gen's journey. I appreciated the moments of human connection and the scattered victories that punctuated the piece, evocatively illustrating the few and far between relationships and inner strength that often must keep survivors of trauma moving forward through life.

In one of the most brutally authentic "show-don't-tell" styles I have ever read, MacLean masterfully aligns non-linear but thematically-linked scenes that portray the lasting damages of trauma for Gen, a woman who keeps pressing forward and swinging (for mostly futile results), until real love enables her to confront her pain. And her abuser. SULLEN GIRL, with its sharp and darkly-witty dialogue, takes a cold, hard look at some impossible truths--but it shows us the way out, too. And this script compels us all to do the same: "What you hear in the dark, you must speak in the light."

Dark, honest, brave, bold, and searing, this drama tells it all. Gen is a hero. After all the ways she tries to cope with what has happened, there are scenes toward the end that are uplifting and empowering to give all of us hope. Thank you Ali MacLean for doing the hard work so we may all benefit. People should know and see this play.