←Recommendations of a seussified grindr date

A character who speaks in Seussian rhymes hooking up with a closeted guy with children. Innocence, intent, sexuality and guilt all seen through a twisted lens. Excellent, concise writing. Needs to be expanded!

Intrigued by the title, a seussified grindr date has been on my reading list for a long time. And it did not disappoint! What a creative format for documenting this interaction in the characters' lives!

I can't write in rhyme, so I won't even try. Donley uses a narrative structure from our childhoods to make a tense, awkward situation comical and light.

A situation that could be dead serious, told in a dead silly style, without losing sight of the stakes.

The initial story seems simple to tell,
How Grindr dates never go so well.
But while the play begins with a laugh and a wink,
By the end it really makes you think.

Ha! This is one unconventional messed up date!
It all happens so quick, as quick as Sams lines in prose.
A clever short play!

This is a very awkward, uncomfortable play - in the BEST way. The use of rhyming (which is not easy) is done so well, as is the use of silence in response. The context of dating apps and who people are on them - truthful or not - is very interesting; how much do we reveal to strangers and what are the consequences of doing so. It's a big question to ask in a short play and will have the audience thinking. There are a lot of opposites to consider here and Donley presents them beautifully.

There's a lot here that is simply not okay... and that's what makes it a great play.

Donley steeps his characters in inexperience, confusion, and a truly torturous awkwardness that reeks of truth. The power dynamics are fascinatingly nebulous, as one man tries too hard and the other doesn't know quite how to behave. Both take actions neither has the right to, yet their motives are human and clear.

Donley's use of language - when and how to speak or not speak -- is a marvel, giving the characters and situation great depth while making an intense situation entertainingly gripping.

Online dating apps can lead to some pretty dark places. Having Sam’s innocence and awkwardness interpreted as Seussified prose is a truly inspired choice in this dark yet hilarious short play.

Ian Donley crafts a brilliant tale using Seussified rhymes to match the seriousness of hooking up with someone who is married. This play is a true roller coaster with witty dialogue and plenty of highs and lows!