←Recommendations of A Shop in The Darkness (one act version)

If Maurice Sendak were to write a play, this would be it. Floyd-Priskorn has deftly crafted a parable within a twisted fairy tale in which otherworldly beings
lead a suicidal girl from the fantastical Darkness in which she believes herself entrapped to an escape from the true darkness she has generated within herself. Surprisingly profound truths surface in this very entertaining one-act.

Jacquie Floyd-Priskorn is truly one of my favorite playwrights. Her words bounce from character to character with such jubilant energy and laser-focused intent. This piece begins as a light hearted romp through gift shop tropes set in an otherworldly environment. But without a single missed step we find ourselves immersed in a mirror accurate metaphor that tugs not just at our hearts but our minds as well. Brava.

So good and so sneakily relevant. What starts off as a simple fantastical adventure in Jacquie Floyd-Priskorn's A SHOP IN THE DARKNESS, turns into an insightful depiction of the fragility of teenage psyche. Surprisingly effective messaging while entertaining, this play deserves production where the subject matter requires attention. Well done - bringing this bit of darkness into the light!

This play is sneaky good, both as creepy adult fun and also with a deeper message that will have audiences stopping to ask questions. Floyd-Priskorn continues to develop strong pieces that warrant consideration from theatres looking to both entertain and to engage audiences with topics for discussion after the curtain comes back down. Her strong dialogue and engaging characters should elevate this piece to the top of the pile for organizations seeking a strong, mid-length drama. Great work!

It doesn't matter whatever she's writing about , I always find Floyd-Priskorn's plays so witty and funny and this one is no exception. Even though she is dealing with such a topic as depression, she understands that so many times as humans we are carried back and forth between emotions that sometimes we have no control of and there are times we may end up in the Darkness, we should only look out for those who are around us who we can lean on and hopefully find our way out of that pit into a brighter path.

Brilliant. Floyd-Priskorn masterfully crafts a world of rich fantasy characters and scenescape. We come face-to-face with deep issues of self-harm and SI, body-anxiety, children raised by phones, and ongoing gun violence all within a intriguing and humor-filled shop in The Darkness. Here in a shop of oddities and vibrant personalities, we are free to discuss the secret and painful things. Creatively, this would be a fantastic adventure to bring to life for design elements and actors. An excellent story that would thrive on the stage and inspire the audience. "There’s no such thing as “just a human,”..."

A Shop in the Darkness is part fairy tale, part fable and part cautionary tale. Floyd-Priskorn deftly gives us a story ripe for these times. She understands what scares us, what haunts us and what in the end will inspire us. And she does it all with welcome humor, original characters, and a taste of the darkness which also bring light.

There are certain days where I DEFINITELY require a 'Relax Your Bitch Face pillow'! Jacqui's play balances wonderfully amusing moments like this with some fabulous explorations of the world you are invited to explore along. Put simply, this play presents a wonderfully unique world where humour, complex emotional and complicated questions are explored, which is easily a winning combination for any audience to enjoy!

A worthy continuation of the delightfully ribald, adult fairytale LIVE, LAUGH, LOBOTOMIZE. Jacquelyn Priskorn brings us A SHOP IN THE DARKNESS - a one-act that goes beyond Olivia’s troubled psyche. Added to the half-demon shopkeeper FLURK and the wood troll RAMIFORM is BROB, the stuff of children’s nightmares (the “booger” man in the closet, you’ll soon see why) who has lost his menace because “the little ones don’t even look up from their glowing rectangles.” A must-read for the twisted jokes, a new deeper darkness, an ominous presence, and big insights from Priskorn’s dark shop.

In this expansion of “Live, Laugh, Lobotomize,” Jacquie Floyd-Priskorn maintains the warmth and humor of the original while adding a most welcome character and adding even more depth to the protagonist and the overall story. And who knew that Flurk was the philosopher the world needs now? “A Shop in the Darkness” provides the kind of light we could all use more of.