←Recommendations of That Must Be the Entrance to Heaven or, The Dawn Behind the Black Hole

Brilliant, exhilarating, poetic, and so friggin deep! This play was absolutely stunning. A knock-out!!!

Emotional, poetic, vibrant and visceral, Franky D. Gonzalez creates a world where prize-fighting imitates the struggles of first-generation immigrants. The prize that each of the four boxers is fighting for proves elusive as the inescapable black hole awaits them, You care for these characters - rooting for each of them to somehow find a way to reach the championship belt - even while knowing it is impossible for all of them to do so. Compelling and powerful work. Bravo!

The funny thing about Destiny is it doesn't have to be specific. Instead of being riddled with details of trappings or traps, all it needs to decide is if your journey ends in paradise or wreckage. Or in this case, consumed by the black hole or basking in the dawn beyond.

Gonzales as ever finds poetry in brutality, in boxing and life. The characters are beautifully drawn. Destiny conspires with physics, turning the atoms of their dreams into universe’s playthings. We see all possibilities. But the outcome, like the subtitular black hole, may be inescapable.

I'm not a boxing person -- I LOVE this play. What a beautiful exploration of trauma, choices, and masculinity in the Latine community. This might be a sports play, but it subverts your expectations with a haunting final image. Has some amazing monologues as well. Produce this play--it's going places.

Absolutely gorgeous. The words and poetry. The use of boxing. It's a play full of heart, bravery, and vulnerability. And it's incredibly theatrical. By the end... don't be surprised if you realize you've been holding your breath.

This play weaves together heartbreaking hopes with brutal physicality in a beautiful and highly theatrical way. It delivers some mind-expanding concepts about ethereal subjects while juxtaposing them with visceral realities. There are some devastatingly rich monologues that will resonate with anyone who has ever dared to hope for something better than the hand they were dealt. Just gorgeous in its complexity and layers.

Franky D. Gonzalez is fast becoming of one of my favorite playwrights. THAT MUST BE THE ENTRANCE TO HEAVEN OR, THE DAWN BEHIND THE BLACK HOLE is a magical play that will take your breath away. Franky crafts a modern tragedy with incredibly high stakes and fantastically compelling characters. This play is beautifully crafted in a free verse style that draws attention to the exquisite language. This piece is so compelling. It draws you in to each of the four boxers hopes and dreams and fears and regrets.

I saw a reading of this play through Risk Theatre online. BRAVO!

What a powerful piece! Boxing is a sport with inherently high stakes, but Franky has found a way to make them even higher, while also giving each of the men such soul, so much love, as well as doubt. It's a beautiful and moving play. Would very much like to see this one fully staged someday.

A remarkable play that quickly pulls us in via the humanity and heart of the characters. The physicality in the play adds dimension to the story and is so well structured, that it opens up many staging possibilities. This is an exciting work and it needs to be produced ASAP!

A remarkable play that quickly pulls us in via the humanity and heart of the characters. The physicality in the play adds dimension to the story and is so well structured, that it opens up many staging possibilities. This is an exciting work and it needs to be produced ASAP!