←Recommendations of One Two One Three

Crushing in the finest way, One Two One Three is a masterful piece of playwriting. The revelations are placed perfectly, and are both understated and unexpected. The story set in motion by an exact and wholly accurate-feeling stage direction: "They do not yell." Fantastic.

Gut-wrenching stuff, made all the moreso by the evident love between all its characters, seen and unseen. Mathew Green beautifully captures a marriage - the ways we can tactically bolster or challenge or ignore or indulge our spouses as needed to get done what needs to get done, even in the direst of circumstances. Sensitive, painful, and truthful above all, this short piece will quietly put you through it. (Special shout-out, too, for an excellent, layered, resonant choice of title.)

Mathew Green pens a beautifully written play about dealing with grief from different perspectives. The father appears to be closer to their son, the mother seems more concerned about the neighbors' opinions. Should they preserve their son's authentic identity or the family's reputation? That's the question. A play that builds the tension to the end and invites reflection. Highly recommended.

There is a visceral ache to this play. The parents see things very differently with respect to remembering their son. Both sides can be understood, but who was the real Ryan? And how do the parents reconcile their differences? My heart.

Mathew Green has left traces, clues that express the characters and conflicts in this emotional drama. They're everywhere, but the audience has find them, like they're archeologists on a dig. A man in a conservative dark suit holding a phone in a garish case, the mention of a note, the repetition of the word traditional. And as the audience understands the clues and the traces, their hearts open for Betsy and John and they understand their pain and points of view. It's a damn good script.

A hauntingly aching piece that brings empathy to the forefront of grief. Green expresses a paradigm that no parent should have to endure, revealing the poignant honesty laden deep with our souls. This is an important, well crafted piece.

An achingly beautiful distillation of the pain, grief, confusion, and ultimately the clarity brought home to a couple in the wake of a devastating loss. Note-perfect on the page and subsequently flawless from our readers’ mouths on the stage. Nearly overwhelming in emotional impact for a ten minute play. Crafted by a writer with a truly fine voice with something significant to say. Select this play, share it, perform it — make it seen and heard widely.

My heart aches for these vulnerable characters. It is so very well written, that their pain is transposed onto the reader. The story of a life in vivid color.