←Recommendations of I HATE SHAKESPEARE

I like the way the overflowing emotion and the feeling of not being able to escape Shakespeare show how deeply he can stay present in her life, constantly reflecting the depth of the plays. With this, a lifelong interaction unfolds in front of us.

Gina Femia (one of the best contemporary playwrights) takes on William Shakespeare (some playwright people think is one of the best). The thing is I don't Gina hates Shakespeare. They actually have a lot of affection for him. They just don't get all the hype. Also, this play isn't really about Shakespeare anyways. It's about finding one's voice, surviving abusive relationships and giving one's self over to art. I couldn't help but here Gina's voice the entire time I read it but I do hope other actors will get a crack at it.

Beautiful, vulnerable, and heartfelt solo show that balances drama and humor so well! While the focus is on art and Gina's journey of defining themselves and their voice as a playwright, anyone who has had to live "in reaction to" the "norm," the canon, cis-hetero-patriarchy will find much to latch onto and relate to here. The moments in time are well-chosen and well-defined, the plays referenced are examined and utilized impactfully, and the storytelling is compelling, hilarious, and poignant.

I love this. This autobiographical coming of age story told through the lens of Shakespeare plays Gina Femia studied in school is wonderful. It reads like poetry in places, contains truly heartbreaking stories, and has moments of real hilarity that snuck up and surprised me. What a perfect piece for theater majors in particular, as there is so much to relate to here.

This play is SO good. It's range is expansive and resonant. Touching and Funny. It worked beautifully as a reading at our university and the students found this so prescient to their lives and perspective as students of theatre.

A moving and inspiring defense for knowing your Shakespeare and also a compelling argument never to produce his work again, Femia's monodrama is a wondrous description of the drive for writers to transform disappointment and trauma into art.

A well done solo script! It moves in a beautiful, stirring way. I particularly enjoyed the juxtaposition of Shakespeare and Iron Man 2 - "high art" and mass appeal.

I love this play.

I love Gina Femia's work so much! This is no exception. Raw, vulnerable, exposed and open in a beautiful, moving play that is funny at times and heartbreaking too. She's the best!

Jumping back and forth through life, relationships, art and time, "I Fucking Hate Shakespeare" uses the Bard as a backdrop to explore the more serious themes of being an artist struggling to find their voice amongst a history of cis, white, maleness. With humor, heart, and fearlessness, playwright Gina Femia has crafted a piece that I would love to see and hear.