←Recommendations of Exhibits in the Zoo

  • Germaine Shames: Exhibits in the Zoo by Matt Harmon
    “

    With compassion, soul and unblunted honesty, Matt Harmon captures the daily horror and dimming hope of life in the Warsaw Ghetto during the first years of WWII. I had the good fortune to attend a staged reading of "Exhibits in the Zoo" at ThinkTank TYA's recent Playwrights Festival, an experience I'm unlikely to forget. Darkly luminous, this play shook me to my core. Matt Harmon is one fearless young playwright to watch.

    With compassion, soul and unblunted honesty, Matt Harmon captures the daily horror and dimming hope of life in the Warsaw Ghetto during the first years of WWII. I had the good fortune to attend a staged reading of "Exhibits in the Zoo" at ThinkTank TYA's recent Playwrights Festival, an experience I'm unlikely to forget. Darkly luminous, this play shook me to my core. Matt Harmon is one fearless young playwright to watch.

    ”
  • Daniel Prillaman: Exhibits in the Zoo by Matt Harmon
    “

    Wow. Harmon’s play is a poignant and heartfelt feat, creating a tremendous playground for young actors (and designers) amidst the backdrop of German-occupied Poland. I am in awe of Harmon's skill here, because he NAILS the impossibly thin line of respecting and acknowledging the grim truth of the history, while still allowing the characters freedom in the joy and wonder they find. It is precisely the kind of script we need more of, no matter your age, and is a staggering piece of theatre you need to be aware of.

    Wow. Harmon’s play is a poignant and heartfelt feat, creating a tremendous playground for young actors (and designers) amidst the backdrop of German-occupied Poland. I am in awe of Harmon's skill here, because he NAILS the impossibly thin line of respecting and acknowledging the grim truth of the history, while still allowing the characters freedom in the joy and wonder they find. It is precisely the kind of script we need more of, no matter your age, and is a staggering piece of theatre you need to be aware of.

    ”
  • Doug DeVita: Exhibits in the Zoo by Matt Harmon
    “

    Matt Harmon's portrait of the Warsaw Ghetto circa 1941, as seen through the eyes of an imaginative mute boy, is a painfully, wondrously beautiful work of art. Brief and swift-moving, it is nonetheless layered, nuanced, and pack with tense emotion – the horrific world surrounding this child is unstintingly portrayed, as is his refusal to let it kill his creative spirit. A perfect TYA, it resonates for all ages and sensibilities, and if there's any justice it will be produced often.

    Matt Harmon's portrait of the Warsaw Ghetto circa 1941, as seen through the eyes of an imaginative mute boy, is a painfully, wondrously beautiful work of art. Brief and swift-moving, it is nonetheless layered, nuanced, and pack with tense emotion – the horrific world surrounding this child is unstintingly portrayed, as is his refusal to let it kill his creative spirit. A perfect TYA, it resonates for all ages and sensibilities, and if there's any justice it will be produced often.

    ”
  • Emily Russell: Exhibits in the Zoo by Matt Harmon
    “

    The awards tacked onto this play speak for themselves — this is a story with abundant importance. Harmon's critical perspective of a dark time of our human past is told by a protagonist who faces unique, identity-based challenges as a young boy who is mute. It is a remarkable story told with all of our senses, bringing the theatre into a new understanding about how we communicate as individuals, families, and societies. Despite its heavy themes, the play is characteristic of Harmon's style with wit, laughter, and youth intact.

    The awards tacked onto this play speak for themselves — this is a story with abundant importance. Harmon's critical perspective of a dark time of our human past is told by a protagonist who faces unique, identity-based challenges as a young boy who is mute. It is a remarkable story told with all of our senses, bringing the theatre into a new understanding about how we communicate as individuals, families, and societies. Despite its heavy themes, the play is characteristic of Harmon's style with wit, laughter, and youth intact.

    ”
  • Bethany Dickens Assaf: Exhibits in the Zoo by Matt Harmon
    “

    Lovely, though-provoking, and theatrically compelling, Harmon's "Exhibits in a Zoo" is a must for consideration in any TYA production. The subject matter, while certainly and necessarily dark, strikes a fine-tuned balance between important subject matter and magical realism, creating an accessible world for young audiences. The main characters are consistently decent and kind, with Mendel himself serving as a gracious focal point in a tragic world.

    Lovely, though-provoking, and theatrically compelling, Harmon's "Exhibits in a Zoo" is a must for consideration in any TYA production. The subject matter, while certainly and necessarily dark, strikes a fine-tuned balance between important subject matter and magical realism, creating an accessible world for young audiences. The main characters are consistently decent and kind, with Mendel himself serving as a gracious focal point in a tragic world.

    ”