←Recommendations of All the Emilies in All the Universes

All of the Emilies had me crying at a READING and I don't think that's ever happened before. This play uses the multiverse to beautifully explore all of the facets of a woman's grief. (It's WandaVision without all of that annoying Marvel backstory.) It's also funny and charming. God is an Ina Garten like TV food personality who whips up entire universes in her mixing bowl. What a delight!

This is a brilliantly abstract piece that explores grief in a completely unique way I've never seen before. Ian is so gentle with his characters, whom he imbues with complex emotions and rich detail. Yes, there are many Emilies, but Ian discovers something brilliant in the small, minuscule details that differentiate each of them. I found myself attached and endeared to all of them - just as the play guided me to it's powerful and poignant conclusion. An idiosyncratic piece that feels wholly new - something that could only come from Ian's brilliant mind.

This play absolutely encompasses the variety and complexities of post-trauma coping mechanisms that real women grapple with. The delightful convention of the Emilie multiverse creates almost infinite design possibilities. The scenes between any of the Emilies and Jeff are fantastic options for scene study/acting classes as well as directing classes. A must-read!

This play is gorgeous, lyrical, heartbreaking... like its central character, it is many things. August conveys a complex concept with clarity and heart. While doing so, he makes space for directors and designers to make bold choices. This play is certainly going places, and you don't want to miss it.

A beautiful, gut-wrenching exploration of grief and the infinite ways one woman processes loss. August injects a tragic story with spectacle and life, taking care that each of the four Emilies is an individual while ensuring they are all woven from the same thread. August refrains from tying up any loose ends, instead choosing to leave the audience to sit with a bounty of questions. I can say with confidence that in every universe I read this play, I loved it just the same.

A gorgeous play that explores the many-tentacled monster of grief in an original and very human way. Rather than replying on the huge theatrical overture of the "various Emilies" in a gimmicky or specious manner, August plumbs the irregular and murky waters of loss with specificity, nuance, and great care for the Emilies and their husband, Jeff. A heaping tablespoon of comedy and wit, in the form of the Presenter, assists the storytelling in a way that makes for compelling theater I'd want to watch. I hope to see a production of this soon!

ALL THE EMILIES IN ALL THE UNIVERSES is a remarkable play with the potential to help a lot of people begin the process of healing after a devastating loss. An impeccable script, with all six roles written such that each performer is given the opportunity to show their range, while also a strong ensemble piece. This play truly captures the phases of grief, the difficult role of the caregiver, the necessity of therapy, and the bewilderment of traumatic loss, while taking care to offer its audience enough breaths throughout the journey of the Emilies to maintain a safe empathetic space.