←Recommendations of INGROWN FEAR (a monologue)

The sins of the father . . . or, fear of the knock upon the door that the father never contended with now worries the mind of the son. Anyone who has had to deal with father-son issues will relate in a gut-wrenching way to Marj O'Neill-Butler's "Ingrown Fear". The subtext that burns beneath this piece is nearly unbearable. Kudos!

It's a short monologue, but in Bruce's reflections, O'Neill-Butler captures the curiosity of childhood and how the choices of a parent can cast a shadow over years to come.

A knock on the door provides a jarring insight. INGROWN FEAR, a splendid short monologue by Marj O’Neill-Butler, has a very natural and easy gait and a disturbing question: How does one cope with information you were never meant to have?

A potent exploration of the moral compromises that can be made, even at a very young age, to maintain a comfortable life. For this man knowledge is not power, but rather the source of a lifetime of guilt.

Marj O'Neil-Butler's INGROWN FEAR says so much in so few words. In this wonderful monologue, you see a country boys life change in an instant. After I finished reading it it took me a moment to fully get how life changing a single event can be in our lives. Truthful and very well written. Read it!

A country boy myself Marj accurately described my upbringing, but here the similarities stop. Here her character moves on from her fathers illegal actions, but not innocently, and now lives in the bright lights of the city, always checking their shadows and waiting for that knock on the door. The audience will root for them, hoping that knock will never come.

MARJ O’NEILL-BUTLER captures the affect on our life’s we can have from the actions of, or lessons if you will from, our parents. “Ingrown Fear” is a haunting confession of sorts. The power of money, no matter if it is obtained by illegal means, is sometimes all consuming. This is a well-written short monologue with a big impact.

While this monologue only runs a page in length, it packs a powerful punch. O'Neill-Butler crafts a wonderfully complex character reflecting on the sinister truths in his childhood. A great play that would be perfect for 10 minute or 1 minute play festivals. A wonderful job!