←Recommendations of 1999

From the very beginning, I was invested. Circumstances, choices, decisions, consequences for the victims in so many forms but not the offenders. All are presented with a unique perspective that gives one pause. Thank you for tackling this subject and not letting it be forgotten.

A powerfully focused play. I'm still staggered that it only has three characters but successfully encompasses many more voices and experiences of trauma. Perpetrators are wisely not depicted so we are able to devote our full attention to the lives that were destroyed by the very real monsters that infected the film industry. All perspectives are balanced, there are no easy judgements of any of the characters. Everything is infused by a genuine love of the craft and medium of film. Urgent work.

Set during a time widely considered a golden year for Hollywood, 1999 is a fearless showcase for three female actors and a play that sparks immediate, ongoing conversation. Through cinematic time jumps and riveting reveals, Campbell skillfully explores how trauma can impact lives, friendships and futures. Is it possible to separate art from the people who make it? With great power and conviction, 1999 addresses how the legacy of films can be forever tarnished by the issues surrounding it while leaving you reevaluating many of the Oscar-adorned movies of the titular year.

As entertaining as it is incisive, 1999 is the kind of play that ends and leaves you with no choice but to and say "I have to talk about what I just saw." Within the parameters of a play about women who make and love films, it has the kind of logline that grabs attention. It then then handily proves (through the great and empathetic skill of the writing) that loglines are just descriptions of events, but plays are maps of the heart. Everybody should be doing and seeing this wonderful play.

"1999" is ripped from recent headlines as it toggles between the year 1999, when film students Emma and Teresa are just starting out, and 2019, when Teresa is no longer in the picture and Emma is a successful film producer. Oscar winner Emma profited off a “me too” sexual assault that destroyed Teresa. A powerful portrait of sisterhood thwarted in an industry where men still seem to get “final cut.” Fluid, filmic and bursting with potential. A great play for three women.

This play is beautifully structured and contains wonderfully rendered characters. Stacey Isom Campbell captures a lot about the reevaluation of artistic work in the wake of the #MeToo movement and poses huge, excellent questions for audiences to chew on while zeroing in on a specific, nuanced set of characters/relationships. Structurally, the revelations that came in the present day timeline and the winding chronology back and forth from '99 to 2019 served as potent counterpoints to one another.

1999 richly engages heart and mind - with surprising humor amid razor sharp cultural analysis, the play reveals to us our longings, our shortcomings, and the inheritance we've given to the next generation. Each character elicits sympathy, anger, and an "o ****, that's me." To borrow a beautiful image from the play, in that space between the theatre and my car, I felt the deep ache for what is and what could have been.

A magnificent play that plumbs the depths of a broken industry and its problematic products. A truly brilliant exploration of traumas, both personal and public that leave us with resonating questions. Stacey Isom Campbell brings to light the complexities of an abusive culture, the dilemma of art and its creators, and how we must recognize the intricate spiderweb of popular culture.

Stacey Isom Campbell has written an excellent three-hander that is both heart-rending and beautiful. 1999 skillfully explores so many questions about abuse, assault, friendship, and how we interact with the past.

A complex and thought-provoking story full of complicated characters. The narrative format and time jumping effectively reveals the drama and tragedy of the characters. I found myself both loving and hating the characters (in the best way possible), surprised by the twists and reveals, and audibily gasping at times. I watched the video recording of the 2024 Valdez Theater Conference reading (since I wasn't able to watch it live).