←Recommendations of People Should Talk About What's Real

“People Should Talk About What’s Real” tackles issues of marriage, infertility, and bodily agency from the perspective of five diverse and complex characters. Also scintillating is the exploration of whom we’re comfortable sharing information with—an anonymous public, or our partners, who are supposed to know us best? A pandemic-era play that offers hope for a post-COVID world that sadly went sideways.

Against the backdrop of the pandemic ("the panini"), three women with very different histories navigate infertility, pregnancy loss, adoption, and abortion. As their stories and histories come into focus, as they navigate their way unwittingly towards each other, each finds her own way of speaking about these intimate and personal topics. Funny, thought provoking and moving.

A witty, meaningful, and engaging piece that tackles the subject matter (grief, infertility, family and relationships, abortion, adoption, pandemic) with the utmost care. These characters are deeply human and I fell in love with each of them. This play will make many different kinds of people feel seen and has the potential to start powerful community dialogue. Bravo, Alli!

The community of National Committee readers for the 46th Bay Area Playwrights Festival advanced PEOPLE SHOULD TALK ABOUT WHAT'S REAL as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We were compelled by the play's questions. Amidst isolation beyond one's control, how do women handle the ethics, complications, and personal toll of infertility? We were engaged by the ways comedy was used to navigate discussions of fertility and bodily autonomy, which set up the final emotionally charged waiting room moment. We hope this play is considered for further development and investigation, and finds dedicated collaborators in this play’s journey towards production. #BAPF46

This is my first read of a full-length play by ALLI HARTLEY-KONG, and it certainly won’t be my last. I am totally blown away with this heartfelt, witty, inspirational, unapologetic gem on the touchy, emotional subjects of abortion and adoption. “PEOPLE SHOULD TALK ABOUT WHAT’S REAL” is breathtaking. I was engrossed in the play from start to finish. I highly recommend this be read and produced!

This gripping play presents five complex and real human beings grappling with very different expectations of and reactions to attempts at having a child. Their emotional struggles are compelling and vividly rendered, and punctuated with moments of laugh-out-loud humor. The final bonding of two disparate characters is heartening and affirming. This piece is filled with images and situations that will stick with me for a long time to come.

"Fetus is the real 'F' word, isn't it?" In PEOPLE SHOULD TALK ABOUT WHAT'S REAL, Alli Hartley-Kong writes real, lumpy, sharp-elbowed, non sequitur, inappropriate joke-making, bad timing people. People too busy being real and raw and funny and awful and hurtful and true to cooperate with any story the author might want to impose; trying to define themselves while they're in the middle of the most important thing they will do in their lives. And Kong sticks the landing -- not because there's a solution, but because the characters acknowledge there isn't one, and that's fine. Great playmaking.

This magical play lives in a world that is at once delightfully contemporary and at the deep root of who we have always been as a species—filled with a longing to create something beautiful: a future, a legacy, a purpose. The play comically dances about, but each movement tugs at something so deep in you that you can't help but hang on every word. Delightfully crafted, two very different women—each struggling in their own way with time and fertility and connection—find their way into each other's lives, and it makes all the difference.

This touched on a lot of themes that are very close to me and Alli Hartley-Kong didn't disappoint on any of them. The intertwining stories are cleverly woven and the dialogue is so natural and effective. There's also a lot of humour - I laughed out loud more than once - but it comes organically from the very distinctly drawn characters and not just jammed in. The stand-up comedy feels real and the perspective on adoption is beautifully handled. I'm full of respect for the writer. Look forward to seeing this on a stage.

Hilarious and simultaneously dark and then in the last few moments, the whole world, a global frame opens up! I really love how the play is structured with the 2 couples and the grandma in the middle as a part of history, a reaction and a force. So much here to wrestle with! Great work!