←Recommendations of Second Book Syndrome

As someone who has been asked repeatedly "where do you ideas come from?" I absolutely loved the idea of a play to explore the creative process! Sam has created a play that draws the audience in from the word go and proceeds to then provide beautiful twists and turns leaving the audience desperate to know how the story unfolds (but which one?) The creation of a play is a creative process in itself but to create a world where the creative process and indeed creativity itself is explored in such a brilliant way, its creative brilliant and addictive!

Like a cross between "Stranger Than Fiction" and "Inkheart,"" Second Book Syndrome" is a unique, stylish and thoughtful take on creative block and the process of making art, Heyman's newest play is a boldly fantastical step in new directions from a writer who effortlessly blends dream and reality and memory with the present day.

Like a cross between "Stranger Than Fiction" and "Inkheart,"" Second Book Syndrome" is a unique, stylish and thoughtful take on creative block and the process of making art, Heyman's newest play is a boldly fantastical step in new directions from a writer who effortlessly blends dream and reality and memory with the present day.

Our imaginations run away with some wild ideas that we can ascribe to our innermost feelings... or are we really alone? Is someone else there, guiding us, goading us? The idea of a writer meeting their characters in the flesh is not a new concept, but in this imaginative -- literally -- tale, Robert's struggles are with more than just his reality. The choices he makes are his own... or are they? Sometimes the world we writers create is more truthful and brutally honest than the real one. Good work that deserves a production.

I cannot say enough how much I adore SECOND BOOK SYNDROME by SAM HEYMAN.
What an absolutely brilliant look at the life of an author and his characters. I was hooked from the very first scene and wanted these characters to find their way to the second book. I truly hope a passionate theatre picks this up and brings it to life... again?

Some of us 'let our characters talk to us' but unlike Robert, none of them have shown up at our home! Great concept, your opening captured my attention, and I was instantly invested. The feedback that Callie offers Robert, in regards to the reviews she read for "his" book, was a powerful meta moment and the talk about representation was powerful. Bravo Sam this play really drove home the profound impact authors can have on their readers.

A powerful and compelling exploration of the nature of creativity, of collaboration, and of character development. What is more exhilarating and terrifying than the moment when one's characters take on a life of their own? This moment and its repercussions are at the core of this smart, witty, and ultimately moving play.

There comes a point in working on a story where the characters in the story start to take a life of their own. This moment is both terrifying and exhilarating. Heyman has managed to capture those extremes brilliantly in his play "Second Book Syndrome". Robert's struggle is deeply relatable as he wrestles with characters who quite literally have formed a life of their own. This piece is funny, relatable, and is paced wonderfully. Yet another great piece from Sam Heyman.

To an extent, it's all our fantasy. "What if your character(s) leapt off the page and into real life?" Be careful what you wish for. Heyman's play doesn't go where you think it might. The characters of Schiftan's novel find themselves in our world, but find themselves confronted with very our world problems, as an existential exploration into the very heart of storytelling commences. What are stories, really? Who deserves to tell them? Are they solely ours? Perhaps most crucially, why do we write them? It's a nuanced, fascinating adventure, one that would be marvelous to see in action.