←Recommendations of Tales From The Hill

Tales from the hill is an honest, hilarious, and heartbreaking look into what it means to be a young queer person today. Over the course of eight short plays, Sam Heyman dives deep into the lives and struggles of a group of college students as they navigate what it means to be queer both on their tiny college campus, and the greater world outside. From the fears of coming out for the first time, to the frustration that you’ve been sexiled by your roomate AGAIN, Heyman has created a beautiful story of friendship, love, and resilience.

[1/14/25] This one is a cute, queer-forward collection of stories from college. What I love about Sam Heyman’s anthology play TALES FROM THE HILL is the slice-of-life scale of each individual play, showing us what the college experience is like (or at least, was like for me): a collection of small interactions that create emerging storylines. Full of heart, good humor, and believable characters, this is a great selection for black box and/or student performers!

This play is both tender and honest in its depiction of college life. As a Gen Zer who is currently in school, I definitely could recognize each and every character in this collection of plays (whether I personally know them or not). Although this play can be performed as a whole, the writing in each individual scene gives enough of an arc for each character. There’s room for every actor taking this on to find their own footing, which any great piece of writing should be able to offer.

Had the pleasure of seeing a reading of this on 1/12/25 that showed what a great work Heyman has crafted out of his individual plays. Made me strangely nostalgic for my own college days, and my own experiences were surprisingly able to tie in nicely to what's covered here, even in a different generation. There's a struggle to understand identity and one's place in the contemporary world that's universal. Couple that with a central relationship throughout that leaves one satisfied. Engaging!

TALES FROM THE HILL is a beautiful journey of several college students who interconnect in unexpected ways. The dialogue feels natural and real as we get a glimpse into these characters' lives and see how they grow and change. The plays work well individually or as a play cycle (it is actually more enhanced if read/performed as a play cycle). Great work to playwright Sam Heyman!

As I read each story in this cycle of life, I knew everyone. I remembered them as if it was yesterday even if it was more than fifty years ago that I was an undergrad. Sam Heyman's ability to bring these characters to life took me back to those days that shaped my life and the choices I made is powerful. Is it any coincidence that moments after reading this piece I got a Facebook friend request from a classmate I haven't seen since graduation? Thanks, Sam.

Oh, college. What a time, to be thrown into a pack of academic stress, trying your best to figure out who you are while feeling like you're supposed to have already figured it all out. I went to college in Kentucky. Trump had just been elected. On the way back home from the city's first Pride, a group of college boys driving past yelled the f-slur at me. It was horrifying. Infuriating. But classes still came. Gay friends struggled with religion and coming out. Bills still called their names. It's a wonderful, horrible time, captured beautifully and vividly by Heyman.

Sam Heyman really hit it out of the park with this one. "Tales From the Hill is an exceptional piece of queer drama. Each of the one-act plays intersects beautifully with one another. The character development is top-notch. It's serving "Heartstoppers". While they can be performed separately, these plays work so well together as well. Sam's writing is funny, heartwarming, and enthralling from start to finish. I could see "Tales From the Hill" being a hit with college theatre departments.

I love a good short play cycle and TALES is exceptional! Each play packs its own dramatic punch, while together they form an exquisitely detailed panorama of youthful optimism, trepidation, longing, and love between queer schoolmates of varying familiarities.

The central relationship elevates the classic nerd/jock trope (also a favorite) by intimately individuating the characters. They represent the many but are themselves unique. There’s also strong neurodivergent representation and secondary characters become protagonists of their own equally compelling Tales.

Produce them separately, together, or in various combinations! You can’t go wrong!

“Snowflake” as HEYMAN has titled it, is a poignant moment in LGBTQ+ world. This ten-minute takes us on short and sweet ride of queer diversity and loving yourself for who you are.
Definitely saving this to my list and will be coming back for more!