←Recommendations of The Deal

Don't cross Vince. That's all I have to say. This two-hander set in a jail cell is cool, vicious, and scary all at once. Under the guise of menace, Vince is offering protection to his cellmate. Glad it's not me in there.

"The Deal" is a chilling prison drama. Ken Love skillfully builds tension through the psychological cat-and-mouse game between Vince and the vulnerable young Stu, revealing how quickly desperation can become a tool of control. The final moments land with quiet menace, transforming an apparent offer of protection into something far more disturbing.

KEN LOVE’s ten-minute play, “The Deal”, is a look at what prison might be like. Harsh, uncaring, horrible might be just three words that can describe the situation in a prison cell. This is a worthwhile read.

The Deal is all about control, and the character Vince is very "convincing" as he swoops in on his young cell mate, making it very clear that he's in for a difficult time, unless he allows Vince to essentially "own" him. One can only imagine what that deal will entail. The dialogue is taut and fraught with images that only make the atmosphere more uncomfortable for the young cell mate and for the audience as well. Well done!

Stu is a prison neophyte. Vince his veteran cell mate. We can one watch in dread (and a bit of awe?) as the Vince deftly breaks Stu’s will, leaving him a quiver mass of putty ready to be molded in the older man’s hands - without him lifting a finger and barely rising from his bunk. A taut and expertly crafted ten minute thriller.

A slow burn of a play where one man takes control over another. It's disturbing, disgusting, but oh so real look at prison life. The dialog creates a haunting effect. Would make a good first scene for beginning college students.

A young White convict, Stu, new to the penal system, has become the cellmate of Vince, an older Black convict with a violent history. Through sly dialogue and monologues, Vince skillful plays on Stu's fears of what will happen to him if the gangs get hold of him. Once Stu is thoroughly terrified, Vince makes him an offer. It's never stated openly, but one can guess. Is it an offer Stu can't refuse? Vince is one of the most chilling characters you'll ever encounter. A devil indeed. Good work!

That was chilling. To watch the younger Stu slowly fall under Vince's spell. No violence, no physical force, just the underlying threat and the implications of it, simply stated. Ken Love has written some devastating dialogue here, and the characters are both instantly relatable. Vince may not be the "real" Devil, but he sure knows how to deal like one.

The Deal, by Ken Love, is a chilling psychological thriller that effectively illustrates the brutal realities of prison life, where survival often depends on forming alliances. The action of the play takes place in a prison cell where a guilt-stricken new prisoner meets the manipulative psychopath who will be his new roommate. The tension between these two characters is palpable and it would be interesting to watch this unfold on a stage.

Chilling scenario with some shady characters makes for an uncomfortable short in Love's "The Deal". You needn't look far to understand with whom the understanding is made - and what it means. This play will leave you ill at ease in all the best ways. And looking for a way out. Just like Stu. A tense, two-person drama.