←Recommendations of Holy Virgins

While there are a number of lines that I can’t stop thinking of, one in particular remains, “Names are only names, you see.” What a line that is! And that final scene. It was everything I could've asked for and more. (I cannot go into greater detail or else I’ll spoil it, but it all comes together so beautifully)!

Oh my gosh, I fell in love with these girls! This coming of age story about three friends in a Catholic school about to be confirmed captures that stage of life so well: confusion, drifting apart, strong opinions that you just formed but believe you will take to your grave, the fear of being different... It is all here, and woven together with some of the best teenage dialogue you'll ever read. This play flew by, and I was sad to say goodbye to these girls. I want to stay and see what they become!

Incredibly smart, incredibly funny, and so insightful into a very specific moment of high school. So few playwrights know how to write teenage characters. Kathryn 100% does.

Oh my goodness I want to be all of these women when I grow up! Kathryn de la Rosa has created beautiful authentic characters in Sam, Marina and Jesse who navigate discovering their racial, sexual and religious identities in a piece of theatre that actresses will love. It's hysterically funny and poignant and passionate and should be produced as soon as possible.

A passionate play wrought with emotion, Holy Virgins flourishes and blooms through the poetry of natural speech. This play is, quite literally, structured with emotion. The three characters pull at each other’s fundamental identity through intricate and subtle language. In the final moments Kathryn de la Rosa completely deconstructs the world she’s presented, making this a wholly original coming-of-age, coming-of-heritage, story. She has written a beautifully tender and penetrating piece of theatre with language reminiscent of Richard Linklater, but with a vastly more compelling understanding of cultural intersections echoing contemporaries such as Jess Siân and Liliana Padilla.

Awesome piece! The kinetic energy of these young women is propulsive as they explore intersections of race, gender expectations, sexuality, and faith. I'd loved the poignant saint presentations that punctuated the briskly-moving scenes and appreciated the way it ended with hope, togetherness, and looking forward even while all the way acknowledging the multitudinous and complex ways society pits women against one another. Beautiful! Also hilarious.

A play that leaves you wanting to spend more time with its funny, brave, imperfect characters. Must-read for anyone interested in faith, friendship, and growing up.

This play is thrilling to read. It has so much respect for its teenage characters - Kathryn de la Rosa lets their thought and dialogue flow authentically and so cleverly. Sam, Marina, and Jesse explode off the page and leave me deep in thought and eager to instantly re-read (or better yet, to see onstage), to catch the new intricacies I'm sure I would find with each foray into their world.

How often do teenage girls get to talk about faith and politics like this on stage? Not enough so I'm so glad there are plays like this that allow young women to really break out of the box they've been forced into. I was unfamiliar with so many of the topics these girls were discussing but I was hooked by their passion. This play NEEDS to get in the hands of high school students!!

The characters soar off the page, painting all the joys, tensions, and gut-busting antics teenage friends find themselves in. Kathryn masterfully juggles tone and pacing through each scene. The heart driving this play forward stays with you, past the final moments.