←Recommendations of An Audience of One

The self-imposed rule of this short play starts out feeling like a gimmick, but quickly becomes a metaphor for our inability to connect with our fellow human beings on anything more than a superficial level, and the piece transcends being more than a writing exercise. It's 14 pages, but with almost every line being limited to one word, you have no excuse not to read it. So, stop reading this and start reading An Audience of One, by Michael C. O'Day!

Pulling off this rigorous a style exercise would be a feat on its own -- the strict minimalism of the dialogue, the fine-tuned timing of the physical bits, the precision of the repetition and variations -- but to also have the form so perfectly reflect the emotional terrain of its main character makes it a triumph. The coup de théâtre Michael O'Day pulls off is a joy to witness, and the feelings it evokes run the gamut. Sweet, funny, sad, and extremely satisfying.