←Recommendations of The Waiting Room

Difficult subject for sure. The characters clash and then meld and the ending is very satisfying. Allie Hartley-Kong creates the conflict in a visual and audio way and let's the protagonists battle it out. Nicely done and a worthy piece to see on stage! 10/18/2024

This play successfully tackles a serious subject like fertility treatments with hilarity and heart, making it easy to recommend. Had the good fortune to see this piece performed at the Midwest Dramatist Conference, and the combination of humor and tension resonated strongly with the audience. Give this one a look and you won't be disappointed.

The personality clashes in this short piece are cringe-worthy for all the right reasons because we see that Natalie is using her outdoor voice and behavior to cover for her near-panic, and Katherine, who uses her attention and responses to Natalie to calm her own trepidation. It is a mismatch that works on all levels, and watching these two people find their way is deeply meaningful. (10/5/24)

I saw this as a staged reading at the Midwest Dramatists Conference thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic between comedic, talks-to-process-emotions Natalie and reserved Katherine. Alli Hartley-Kong employs great skills in dialogue writing to keep this play moving at an entertaining, fun pace. Loved watching their relationship grow.

A wonderful little piece. I loved the humor. In a 2-person show, having one character talk too much and the other character not say too much for most of the show shows the skill of the playwright that the dialogue stays compelling throughout.

The Waiting Room is a heartfelt and humorous short about two very different women, one of whom yearns for connection, while the other yearns for silence (and maybe some good fertility news.) Or are they so different? Alli Hartley-Kong's characters break taboos and threaten to disrupt the discourse surrounding women's reproductive health in beautiful, hilarious ways. I saw a reading of this play at the 2024 Midwest Dramatists' Conference and was thoroughly entertained. (9/29/24)

I saw a staged reading of this play at the 2024 Midwest Dramatists Conference. The awkward conversation between strangers is always a solid set up for drama, but Hartley-Kong’s play goes deep and mines an emotional mine field involving births, break ups, and new best friends. I rooted not only for these women’s success, but also for their new found friendship. A funny, heartfelt short play that grapples with a big subject. Just lovely.

“Shit. Fetus is the real f word here, right?” Humor is treasure to be discovered in this treasure hunt of a short play. Alli uses the difficult subject matter of infertility and miscarriage to show us all the ways in which fear, trauma, and grief can be finite instead of infinitely depressing and insurmountable. Two strangers bonding in a waiting room is an everyday occurrence, and this one will leave you with laughs, hope, and solidarity.

To think that two women who are very different can bond in the waiting room of a fertility clinic is heartening. That they can find humor in their individual situations and each other's ability to make the other laugh is even better, especially since Katherine is ordinarily shy. I loved the line: "Is there a nursing home for aged-out ovaries?" Women will like this play. Congratulations, Alli.