←Recommendations of Slapjack Saturday

True confession: I have a soft spot for raccoons since I saw raccoon paw prints - amazingly like a human's - going up the shed door. Raccoons are not rodents, and I’m glad Darlene sets the record straight on that one, but she needs to brush up on what is included in the mammal class, a deficiency that Brenton Kniess hilariously plays up in SLAPJACK SATURDAY. Grief can take on many shapes -sometimes best depicted with puppetry I’m thinking - and Cletus responds as a good friend and barkeep in this tavern romp with a satisfying finish.

A support raccoon may be just what Darlene needs to cope with her grief. Humans have a tendency to tiptoe around the issue, never quite sure what to say or not say, how much space to give. Such is the case with Cletus, a long-time friend who shares her grief. Brenton Kniess does a terrific job of combining animal antics and the familiar, comforting routine of the two humans. Hopefully this will be onstage sometime soon.

What a fun piece! Somewhere between unorthodox pets and deep grief, we get a tale of enduring friendship. Brenton Kniess has created two enormously engaging characters and set them loose in a comfy bar. Well done!

This is one of those plays that had me at the opening stage direction! While funny (and with some incredible possibilities for creative puppeteering or casting choices), there is something very human and relatable about this short play about grief. When you're grieving, and everyone around you knows it, they treat you in such an alien way. The chaotic raccoon companion has the same effect here. You can't hide grief, and you can't control the way others react to your grief - nor can you just cast it aside without consequences. This concise play finds a solution in companionship. Lovely!

Listen, I know this isn't the point, but I want to play the raccoon. I want to be the absurdity that highlights and alleviates grief. "It makes no sense that he's gone. It hurts." Yes, loss is like that. "It makes no sense for a person to be playing a raccoon causing chaos in a bar." Correct, the universe is like that. It doesn't always make sense. Sometimes, things simply are. We accept them, we build meaning out of them, and we have to do our best to do good by ourselves and by others. A nice short show.

How we grieve and who we choose to grieve with is a difficult topic to handle in a ten-minute play. Brenton Kniess proves he’s up to the challenge with SLAPJACK SATURDAY. Cards, beer, a raccoon and a couple of old friends coalesce in this sweet short where coming to grips with loss is told in an identifiable manner. You can feel the characters’ shared pain. A worthy piece of work.

Each of us deals with grief in our unique way, and for Darlene, that way involves a corn-nut-loving furry little critter! Brenton Kniess's "Slapjack Saturday" is a beautiful work about loss, grief, and redemption. Brenton has a unique way of portraying grief, packaging it in the wrapper of laughter, and dishing it out under humorous circumstances. This is the sort of play that fills the audience with a strange warmth as we all relate to the joys and sufferings that life brings about. Tremendous scope for the director and the actors, as well. Brilliantly done!

Dealing with the death of a loved one is a tricky road to navigate, and it's easier with a companion. Darlene finds hers in a raccoon. In this gentle comedy about life, death and corn nuts, Darlene and Cletus meet for a weekly game of Slapjack when she brings a third party into the mix. Said party is what's helped her deal with a recent loss, even if he is there only for the Corn Nuts she carries. But, as I said, it's easier to deal with things when you've got a friend. A heartwarming play from Brenton Kniess.

This is a wonderfully off-the-wall piece of writing. Brenton Kniess sets such a good scene with a serious storyline about loss and grief and weaves into it a feisty raccoon - how does the mind create this - well, it's a fertile mind with an eye to take the edge off a story of sadness. Lovely work which has left me yearning for a spin-off story about the raccoon's further adventures!

Grief does make people do strange things and create connections to things they normally wouldn't. In this case, Darlene puts all her misplaced love into a raccoon...I am not ashamed to say I have been Darlene! But it was very nice to see she was able to open back up to her human friend again. A very sweet, even with raccoon antics, play about loss and friendship.