←Recommendations of The Shape Of Goodbye

Effective and moving tale of grief. Simple concept but done so well. Great dialogue and wonderful use of setting that evokes all the right emotions. Touching. So happy to see this staged.

This short play will move you, even if you haven't experienced a deep loss. However, if you have, it is likely to resonate that much more. The piece touches beautifully on regret, longing for impossible chances and the complexities of grief. A beautiful and poetic piece of work.

The Shape of Goodbye is such beautifully crafted and moving work. I am struck by a complicated grief that is so relatable and the skillful way Mabey handles a difficult topic with so many stand-out lines, such crisp clear writing, it doesn't get better than this.

The Shape of Goodbye is a deeply moving exploration of grief, love, and the struggles of father-son reconciliation. Through lyrical dialogue and a mystical setting, Mabey beautifully captures the emotional depth of healing. A play that leaves you reflecting long after the final moment.

Thanks to the magic of writing, characters get to say things to each other - even in death - that they couldn't muster the courage to say otherwise. This is most evident in Mabey's heartfelt and beautifully written play. They've created an almost mystical setting where a father and son have such a real conversation that is emotional for both, even when the physical circumstances seem to make such emotions impossible. The play is a well-deserved award winner.

This is a lyrical exploration of grieving and the longing for connection that continues well after death. A son struggles to make peace with the memory and the mystery of his late father in concert and in conflict with his father's spirit. If there was a trophy for compassionate understanding it would go to John Mabey.

11/21/24 - What makes a John Mabey script so profound is the power of shared experiences. No matter how you experienced it, Mabey is always able to find a way to make you not just comprehend the emotional stakes, but makes you feel apart of it. From the craftsmanship of the dialogue to the beauty of authenticity in its characters, John Mabey’s THE SHAPE OF GOODBYE is an encapsulating piece of how we attempt to shape our life in the face of grief.

Grieving comes in all shapes and sizes. There is no time limit and it finds you in a myriad of ways. Mabey’s father and son have danced around their feelings through life and death. And now an object whose importance has diminished in time suddenly becomes the connection that enables both the father and the son to understand the importance of what was and move to “what will be.” A moving peace on holding on and letting go.