←Recommendations of Founders, Keepers

A piece that captures the grandeur of American political decline and the intimacy of contemporary girlhood, Founders, Keepers shows Behlke's attention to detailed, nuanced, characters, laugh-out-loud, unexpected comedy, and caring attention to contemporary society that left me thinking about this play for hours. An honest, raw, and somehow also empathetic perspective on what it means to be a young person in America today.

"Founders, Keepers" is an exceptionally moving piece of work that explores its darkly comic premise with the humanity it deserves. Aurora Behlke's young characters navigate friendship, puberty, dreams, death, and what may prove to be the end of one country and the beginning of another - these girls have so much to say, and they don't always know how to say it, but they are trying their best with what they have. Frequently hilarious, even amidst heartbreak, "Founders, Keepers" deserves to be seen by audiences everywhere.

In the past several years, we’ve seen many excellent plays about adolescent girlhood; FOUNDERS, KEEPERS stands out amid the pack in its portrayal of tween girls rewriting the US constitution as the country burns. Exceptionally funny, tender-hearted, truthful and prescient, Aurora Behlke’s political allegory hits so many unexpectedly perfect notes. Her premise reminds us that America is a young country, that words are meaningless without action, and that nothing lasts forever. Our nation’s own painful adolescence may be just beginning, but with writers like Behlke making themselves heard, the kids may just be all right.

With all the fantasy adolescent heroes who've risen up to save the world from fictional apocalypse, there's a tremendous kick in telling such a story for real - with five eleven year old girls tasked with rebuilding the government in the wake of an all-too-plausible catastrophe. To pull this off, of course, you have to understand our political realities and you have to understand adolescent girlhood - and Behlke depicts both just about perfectly. She's also an adept plotter, and FOUNDERS, KEEPERS has some of the best third-act twists I've seen in a good long while. Expertly done.

How DARE Behlke compare the US Constitution to a friendship necklace from Claire's... and how dare she be right in her comparison!! Even though the world is literally ending in this play, she finds a way to truly validate each problem the girls face - whether it be a first period or an environmental disaster! She takes care of her girls, and in doing so, she has created 5 of the most well-rounded adolescent women I've ever seen on stage. Poignant, funny, and absolutely gut-wrenching, "FOUNDERS, KEEPERS" is a play the world needs right now.

"Founders, Keepers" is one to catch its audience beautifully off-guard. Lyrical and grounded, full of wit and empathy, alternating between the sharpest of bites and the deepest of laughs, Behlke has written a play of poignancy, query, and exploration. It is a must-read and a must-perform.

Behlke's "Founders, Keepers" is marvelously clever, disarmingly poignant, and a fresh, vulnerable, hilarious ride from start to finish. A must-read for anyone and everyone.