←Recommendations of The Youtube Comments Section of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”

I think what I like most about this play (besides the title), is that it aptly reflects the wild landscape of human interactions on digital platforms (and it's really funny and theatrical). These interactions are at times sentimental, or goofy, or witty, or ridiculous, or self-important, or hilarious, or irreverent, or angry, or generous, or genuine, or lonely, or sad, or searching for some kind of connection with other humans. Disclosure: I had never heard this song, but a friend mentioned it the other day and now it's everywhere. I feel like that should be my Youtube comment.

This is an inventive, theatrical way to bring the comments section to life. Much as many of us dread the very thought of such a prospect, Ryan Stevens employs the dank underbelly of the internet to find and tell some touching stories. It's a good reminder that humanity is there, in the comments section, if one is brave enough to go looking for it.
I was surprised how much this play moved me. Fantastic work.

A unique and novel way to highlight the across-the-spectrum look at how different people respond to... well, anything. Whether it's art, an event, or another person, everybody has a response to it. And based on what Ryan Stevens shows us here, the response is a mixed bag of reverence, awe, disdain, emotional connection, dismissal, remorse, reflection and love. I wouldn't be surprised if this is a direct translation of an actual exchange. There's a fascinating sadness seeing this sort of cross section of humanity who can come together but be apart at the same time. Wonderful stuff.

Despite the conventional wisdom, there's something to be learned from a deep dive into the treacherous domain of the comments. What comes up doesn't speak to the content the comments are supposedly about, but what people bring to it. The ways in which the comments interact really bring up the question, are we actually experiencing the same thing at all?

Oh, the comments section. I avoid it like the plague. But in this short play, Stevens shows how the catharsis of getting your thoughts out of your head and down, in some form, will last far behind the thoughts themselves. This song has always been a favorite, which is interesting considering that it's a heavy downer of a song. But seeing the thoughts of these commenters in the play helps me see why it has such power. Well done.

A stirring piece of theater that strives to capture the scope of humanity - and does so triumphantly.
Makes me think of Ruben Carbajal's found dialogue pieces, which is very much intended as a compliment to both Stevens and Carbajal.
We all know not to read the comments, but Stevens dares us to do so, and looks beyond the surface to find something as lovely and haunting as the Gordon Lightfoot ballad. Everything the aliens or future sociologists want to know about society today is here.
Powerful.