←Recommendations of Brackish

The community of National Committee readers for the 46th Bay Area Playwrights Festival advanced BRACKISH as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We were compelled by the dramaturgical use of ghosts, who were uniquely positioned as playful and human, as holders of nostalgia, a father's hope, and the trauma of memories washing over like waves. We leaned into the themes of selling a home, leaving behind a past and embracing the living daughters, and the connection to food. We hope this play is considered for further development and investigation, and finds dedicated collaborators in this play’s journey towards production. #BAPF46

This is a beautiful piece, boasting dynamic characters and timely themes. The use of apparitions set amidst the backdrop of this fractured family in a moment of change nearly brought me to tears. I also appreciated the way Villanueva would describe the passage of time in stage directions. There is a lot being said here about the consistency of change: how much weight the past can carry, how present times can bog us down and overwhelm, and how the future is not yet determined.

A gorgeous, layered play with a full, clear world. I can really see it on a stage, so I hope a theatre scoops it up soon.

A powerful play where a family faces selling a huge piece of their past and taking the next steps forward. On top of that they're unpacking meaning of things as a racist act occurs. Rich, layered and well done.

A gentle and haunting piece that explores family, race, generational divides, the complexities of being outsiders in a hostile environment, and so much more. The intimate ensemble is full of well-developed and nuanced characters. The tension around the selling of the restaurant and the next steps in this family's existence is ever-present and escalating, but it manages to maintain itself without contrived theatrics or melodrama. Rather, little important seismic shifts between and within the characters keep things moving briskly. I'm so eager to see this on its feet one day soon!

I devoured this play in one sitting, and was so haunted by its beauty I went back a few days later to read it again – and I'm still spinning from the experience. And for once, I'm at a loss for words except to say I love every word and every character in this script, and I'm deeply touched by Villanueva's depth of feeling in this this work. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone looking for an exceptionally moving, exceptionally well written drama. It's just so damn... perfect.