←Recommendations of Everything In Between

A unique 10 minute piece. The characters are solid and a good challenge for actors, the plot is exciting and moves with force and the premise is a solid glimpse at the future of grief and therapy. Nicely conceived and well written, this would be a nice piece to see on stage.

I love this play so much (and the human who wrote it, John Mabey) that I use it as a teaching tool in my course 'Writing the Ten-Minute Play'. A absolute stunner of a play, exploring grief, last words, what's left unspoken, what should be spoken, and how we as human beings move forward (or don't) after a tragic loss. Written with Mabey's gorgeous dialogue, fervent imagination, it's timely and timeless. Every time I read it I marvel at its construction and humanity. Produce it always and often!

What an absolutely tragic and beautiful dance human and hologram dance as they maneuver a new, frustrating, and ultimately purposeful relationship. Such a lovely short piece about grief and moving forward... any way possible. Thank you, JOHN MABEY.

A vision of future AI therapy sessions "for reminiscing. Or for laughing. Or for screaming...." which is beautifully human and cathartic. A lovely moment of connection.

Haunting and captivating. Anyone who has experienced grief will recongize Xan's impulse toward one more conversation, even if layered with anger and heartbreak and things unsaid, and even if the conversation isn't "real." Powerfully written.

Xan gets more than they bargained for in summoning a hologram of their late mother. This leads to a moving and in flashes funny exploration of their grief and anguish. The lovely conclusion allows Xan to say the one word that might bring release. A lovely, thoughtful use of technology to shape narrative.

Tender and funny and wholly captivating, I adore this masterful 10-minute script. Mabey captures the rough edges of loss with wit and charm, not to mention the sniper-to-the-heart cicada ending? Oof! Electric and brilliant and expansive. I’ll be thinking about that 5th grade science report for a while. A gorgeous two-hander certain to steal the spotlight in any 10-minute play festival.

Nothing hits harder for me than a story about the relationship between a parent and their child. It was a great piece tackling grief in a modern and interesting way, and I commend Mabey for their use of captivating dialogue and a strong sense of character. Loved hearing its reading at the William Inge Theatre Festival!

Science-fiction is at its best when it is used to address a very modern and very human problem or emotion, in the case of this play, grief. How does one say good bye when given the chance? Do you say it? This was funny, heart warming and heart breaking at the same time. I saw this at the 2024 William Inge Festival and cannot recommend it enough.

I saw a reading of this play at the William Inge Festival, and it was very moving to spend time with Xan working through their relationship with this parent who both was and wasn't there. Mabey uses this moment to ask questions about what life and death look like for both people and AI creations, with a healthy smattering of Dad jokes to round out the experience. The audience loved it!