←Recommendations of Backyard Stonehenge

I love it when I’m watching or reading a play that’s set outdoors at night and I can feel the night air and see the shadows and the glow on the characters’ faces. This is one of those. You can practically smell the backyard and taste the underlying resentment. There’s a grand romantic gesture happening and, as with such gestures, the circumstances aren’t ideal and there’s a lot to make up for. This marriage is deeply real. The conflict ebbs and flows with high stakes but without histrionics. The payoff is sublime.

"Backyard Stonehenge" is a small but powerful work by a master storyteller. It starts with an absurd comic action, and I started thinking about how the actor would have a field day working on the physical comedy. But like most real-life comedies, the story instantly dissolves into the bitter-sweet fountain of life. In this profoundly allegorical play, Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn creates a compelling emotional world where two lovers try to bridge the distance with stolen materials from a scary neighbor!

The title grabbed my attention, and it didn't disappoint. Glad to see he didn't try to build a full-size model! But the analogy of building the miniature and concurrently rebuilding their relationship was poignant. I found the notion of him sitting at the bar every night because she worked there, and then getting a DUI presumably as a result, sort of an interesting side story that fades away into the greater conclusion.

In building a Stonehenge, TJ built a bridge. This couple's love was displayed through the understated dialogue and non verbal activity, to the point where it was almost palpable. Beautifully crafted.

I love it when the setup for a play starts out utterly ridiculous (and this one does - I can only imagine the possibilities for staging the physical comedy before the dialogue even starts!) and turns out to be deeply felt and emotional. I also love it when actors physically create something over the course of a play - there's something so vital about it, ensuring every single performance of a piece is unique and impossible to recreate exactly. Thus, this sweet story of reconciliation ticks all my boxes for theatricality! And the final twist? Delightful! What a little treat!

As with much of Jacquies wonderful work I found myself letting out a long satisfied awwww at the end of this play. Reality and fantasy fit together on this short play, where TJ does his best to make amends for his misdemeanour.
Their relationship is strained, but just like the rocks, it stands firm and strong.
Stonehenge has been around for thousands of years and isn't going anywhere, so I'm sure TJ and Kendra will make it one day.
And the little twist at the end of this play is perfect.
Another gorgeous play by this talented playwright! Love it!

TJ and Kendra may not make it to the real Stonehenge, but they are off on a much more important journey of discovery and recovery. Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn’s trademark humor and deeply felt storytelling are so present in this beautiful play. You’ll be rooting for these two engaging characters as they repair the foundation of their relationship one stone at a time.

How heartening that TJ's goofy effort to make up for his major slip up ultimately works. We see the stressors on this relationship, but we also see that it is built to last.

Man, I always like to read Jacquie's plays for the laugh-out-loud humor and silly wordplay, but then she hits me with sweetness too? TJ needs forgiveness and Kendra is reluctant to give it, but somehow, true love gets the job done. It's got warmth, gentle humor, a small bit of theft (let's face it, if this backyard Stonehenge does it's thing for TJ, I doubt he's giving those stones back willingly) and way more heart than I was expecting. But then, it's from Jacquie Floyd. Of course it's got heart.