←Recommendations of OCCUPIED

John Lennon said, "life is what happens when you're making other plans" - and since he wasn't a millenial American woman dealing with the cascading horrors of the 21st century, he never knew just how right he was. But Aly Kantor knows, and OCCUPIED (a hell of a double-meaning in that title, btw) is a portrait of two such women that is by turns heartbreaking, horrifying, and hysterical. Hell, this play's worth it for its final page alone - an amazing, devastating epitath.

"Occupied" manages to be both a delicately written portrait of two friends and a startling and on point exploration of gun violence in the US and its subtle but palpable impact on everyday experiences and relationships. I loved the evolution of these two humans throughout the years, the examination of the educator experience in the USA, and the insight on how big socio-political truths affect seismic shifts in personal actions. The dialogue moved swiftly and naturally throughout.

The sagacity of OCCUPIED hinges on how well Aly Kantor uses a big and small strategy in an intimate two-hander that covers 25 years. She expertly replaces plot suspense with curiosity for the evolving friendship of Amelia and Jac. External pressure exerts itself on their inner world of moveable sanctuaries. Huge insights fuel this dazzling miniaturist drama. I love Jac's horrifying soul joke in the stellar Scene 5. Also the balance between fear and hope, comedic flourishes and tragic distancing.

Kantor has brilliantly crafted a play where a setting can mean so many different things while also staying exactly the same. I loved how this play explores so many different tragedies and how it impacts these characters. This is a play that will require a lot from actors but it would be so rewarding to create such a moving piece of theatre. I loved watching these women grow. I loved how much we are able to fill in information from their lives with just their dialogue. There is no time for exposition here and I am all for it.

The first scene of Occupied sucked me in, and it wasn’t just Aly Kantor’s gift for authentic dialogue (which is amazing!), but the all threads she weaves into the conversation between Amelia and Jac – the seemingly mundane topics that engage them, the depth of their relationship, the social and political events of the day, the unique setting in bathroom stalls, and the serious questions raised. This play is thoroughly engaging, thought-provoking, funny, and heart-breaking. Occupied is brilliant!

Towards the end of Aly Kantor's fine play "Occupied," one of two best friends expresses the wish that "something exciting will happen in her lifetime." Over nearly twenty years of friendship, Jac and Amelia live through the most tumultuous and earth-shattering events of the twenty-first century. Kantor smartly keeps these events on the periphery, dedicating most of her script to the friendship of two women, with several doses of humor, character, and spot-on dialogue. Lovely play!

What a awesome play! It brilliantly captures the struggles with safety and identity. Through the intimate lens of female friendship, that spans two decades, punctuated by historical tragedies. The characters Jac and Amelia, with their raw vulnerability and humor, offer a powerful reflection on the question of security in an ever-changing world. Kantor’s writing is both evocative and insightful, making “OCCUPIED” a piece for our times.

Aly Kantor has written an incredible coming of age story for a generation that has always had to keep one eye open at all times. Through various scenes throughout the course of their lives, we get to watch these characters grow and try to make sense of the seemingly never ending chaos happening outside of the "safety" of heir bathroom stalls.

A simple but unique set and simple concept - yet still stunningly theatrical. The poetic relationship of two life-long friends defining the age of their development, OCCUPIED hits all the right emotional notes. Aly Kantor has created art relevant for our times and yet, if fear of the unknown and the unexpected is a defining aspect of humanity, then perhaps this is timeless. I laughed, and cried without knowing why and I wanted to give the world a hug. I would love to see this staged. Magnificent.

I don’t know who challenged Aly Kantor to write a compelling play set entirely in a series of restrooms, but she pulled it off splendidly. This would be an amazing opportunity for two young actresses to showcase their talents as their characters grow and become increasingly aware of the often frightening world outside the haven of the bathroom stalls.