←Recommendations of Park Benches

A moving script - and one that may take courage on the part of a director and actors not to rush it. Because these words are so well written that experiencing their full strength - all the emotion and poignancy - will mean also letting the spaces between the characters breathe.

Lovely. As David grapples with accepting the inevitable passing of his wife who is "in-between" this life and the next, he is joined on a park bench by Agnes. "It's okay. I'm Agnes." I love the simplicity of this. The light in the darkness. The hope. And her character serves as a beautiful tool of exposition allowing us to understand David's predicament without him hardly saying a word. Bravo.

Friedman captures all the beauties and heartbreak in a life succinctly and sweetly in a scant ten minutes. Nobody escapes from an unspeakable sorrow in this life but Friedman finds light in the hardest challenge. There are times when you really need the park bench surrounded by whistling ducks and if you’re lucky, Agnes is by your side.

WOW! Talk about pulling on the heart strings. "Our compulsion to go to places that remind us of happier times" that line will be sticking with me. Darrin writes an incredible short slice of life play that captures grief, and human connection in a beautiful way. As i am in my own grief process this play really helped put things into perspective. Thank you for sharing this amazing work!

A lovely duet about a difficult topic. The dialogue is crisp and simple, perfect small set and excellent story line. Agnes is a unique character in the pantheon of two handers. Well designed and well written - brava!

Well, now it's my turn to recommend "Park Benches". As a playwright who has on more than a few occasions attempted this type of "end of life" theme, I know the difficulty of the execution - if you will - as well as the difficulty in watching such a work. Regardless, the piece needs to be seen!

Park Benches is a play about love, sacrifice, grace, and the permission to let go. It's about the pain of the survivor and the courage to move on. It is one of those special scenes that benefits from the simplicity of the staging and instead allows the performers the opportunity to shine based on their performances alone. Such a lovely and impactful short play.

I cannot recommend this touching, emotionally rich play from Darrin Friedman enough. I dare anyone NOT to be moved by the story being told here. There is a respect for a life that needs to move on (two lives actually), and a mysterious person who helps a grieving husband find the courage to let go. David is a complex character, with a most complex dilemma. Agnes is a, well, I'm not too sure what Agnes is, but I know what I want her to be. Would that we all had our own Agnes to help us in out darkest times.

The character David is described as “a good man facing an unspeakable horror.” And that is clearly true. Yet even as we come to know the truth of that horror, Darrin Friedman offers David, and us, comfort with the presence of Agnes. This play is simply (though nothing simple about writing something so extraordinary) beautiful and comforting. I often sit in a park and watch the ducks and herons. I think this play will be on my mind as I enjoy the scenery.

Two strangers on a park bench. One wishes for silence. The other wants to talk about ducks. Whistling ducks, in fact. They mate for life. If one loses the other it’s abject heartbreak. But Agnes is here to let David know that it’s okay. And in doing so reminds us all that when it’s time to let go, there is no defeat in doing so. We the living carry the loss while those who leave may find a peace in their release. Friedman has written a truly resonate piece.