←Recommendations of How to Pronounce Samhain

There’s a moment in this play that turns it from a humorous situational comedy (always great in its own right) into one with so much more working through it. O’Day’s play is a moving story of connection. To have it. To have once had it, but no longer. To not see it coming. In a world that manages to consistently surpass expectations in how terrible it can be, connection can mean and be everything. It can even be the difference between life & death. Pronunciation lessons have never been better.

Michael C. O’Day has built a complete world within this play. Not only did it make me laugh, but it also made me think deeply. I especially appreciated the character of Matty, who is so lovable.

I had the pleasure of being introduced to Michael C. O'Day's play through the Valdez Theatre Conference. it's a play with lots of laughs, physical comedy, and heart. The play deals with big subjects like the rituals around death, Covid, and varying stages of life but does so with ease and a great deal of humor. It's a play that feels right for this moment when we need to find a way to respect each other even in our differences.

Spooky, snarky, sentimental- all at once. Michael writes with such vivid imagery, this graveyard (ironically) comes alive off the page. Special kudos to the character of Matty- one of the best-written teens I have encountered in a play. Produce this play, especially ideal for a Halloween performance!

The story of learning about other people and their ways of life is ever on-going. In this short but very well-developed play, Michael C. O'Day has given us a place -- a graveyard -- and a moment of reflection on a lost love and brought in outsiders who discover they do have a connection, even if it's through the intrusion of a Frisbee. Each of them find their ground and their truths, and it is told in a warm and touching way.

A warm tale about summer’s end. An unexpected touching play about the loss of connections and the endurance of convictions. Humorous and thoughtful, Michael C. O’Day addresses more than a mere mispronunciation of a word, he addresses the misconception of an entire tradition. Also, he points out how much better all activities could be if we were all sky clad.

WATCHED AT VALDEZ THEATRE CONFERENCE
A spooky little fable about how the best way of changing the world is to affect the hearts of those around you. From a tiny chance interaction, the play unfolds years of distrust that culminate in a necessary reconciliation.