←Recommendations of All-Nighter (Tales From The Hill #2)

Although meant to be part of a larger collection of works, this short play by Sam Heymen stands on it's own. it's a simple tale of friendship, but tackles complex themes. Like how we choose out friends, WHY we choose out friends, and trying to love ourselves so that we can open up to others. Chip and Jessica have a lot of work to do, school wise (Well, CHIP does...) but these two have each other's backs. Chip says it best. “Friends are more important than work. You can catch up on readings and papers.” Well said.

This play explores the lives of young people in a very real way. As I listened to Chip talk in a sad but beautiful way about why he chooses to envelope himself in far too much work it brought to my mind how hard it can be living away from home. Sam has created a wonderfully real character in Chip and his good friend Jessica. Between them they explore a spectrum of feelings that a lot of young people will relate to. I love this play for many reasons but mainly because it shows how important support can be.

The challenge of a play cycle is writing individual pieces of a larger story that also stand alone. Missions accomplished!

We not only meet the fabulous and fabulously neurodivergent Jessica, we also learn more about Chip! Introduced as a fairly together gay crusader in SNOWFLAKE, we now see what a mess he really is when alone with his bestie. Heyman skillfully uses Jessica’s apparent ADHD to organically lay out backstory because WE DO THAT!!! Their quirks and insecurities holograph their friendship beautifully. They make us want more! Fortunately, there are six more plays to go!

This play is funny and appealing, with the feel of a real conversation between college students, and a strong sense of the friendship between the characters.