←Recommendations of Not About Pretty

This play is a nuanced journey through many more emotions and tonalities than anyone expects from a mere 10-minute play. I love that, while Wendy Vogel immediately establishes a well-drawn tension between her two characters, we ultimately see these women connecting with each other. And actors would love the opportunity to play either role!

I was fortunate to be able to see a reading of this play at the 2024 Midwest Dramatists Conference in Kansas City. An ex-wife and an ex-lover of the same man meet at his funerals. Their conversation moves them from a rivalry to a comradery of sorts. When they leave to continue the conversation elsewhere, you will wish you could go along with them to see what happens next.

‘Not About Pretty’ is an emotionally charged play presenting a skillful examination of betrayal, resilience, and unexpected solidarity. In this narrative, two women bond over their mutual distaste for the recently deceased. What starts out as an uneasy confrontation, resolves in a tender and hopeful conclusion.

A compelling idea: two women - an ex-wife and an illicit lover - at the funeral of the man whom both were involved with. The piece avoids anger and melodrama. And the felt pain from both characters is never succumbed to. By the time the last line of dialogue was spoken, I found myself wanting to know more about these women. Nicely done!

Beautiful tale. Wendy Vogel just made an actual surreal encounter I had a few years back totally real with NOT ABOUT PRETTY! This short provides emotional punch and your heart warms as the exchange between the two women goes from uncomfortable to supportive. The third character in this drama is sharply drawn without ever setting foot on the stage. Impressive writing!

Just became Wendy Vogel's #1 fan after reading this. Love the anatomy of this play, that Barbara and Emily's decades-long conflict wasn't one that had to be hashed out by screaming or hysterics, but by the reclamation of lost dignity on both sides. What a marvel this 10-minute is.

Wow. Such a tragic and beautiful moment between two very different women. The tension that WENDY VOGEL has created with her thoughtful and poignant dialogue guides audiences to the exact significance of the moment at hand: syzygy - a pair of connected or corresponding things. Both women have lost. Both women have been hurt. Both women have risen from the ashes. Maybe they are that different after all.

An effective little piece born out of a surprising situation. It allows us to explore a lot of depth in these characters in a brief time, however. As usual, Vogel has several amusing lines, and also not unexpected, you're able to get a great, unusual "slice of life" from the scenario she explores. I love the ending; this is a very effective piece.