←Recommendations of This is The Subtext; a memoir about a playwright and a podcast

This play is so brave, honest, and relatable. Brian writes fearlessly about the yearning, loneliness, self-consciousness, jealousy, and self-doubt that are central to the contemporary playwriting experience - and, in a shifting, elegant, theatrical way, offers some beautiful ways out of that mental prison. Would recommend to anyone writing plays or to any theaters working with playwrights. There’s wisdom here.

A deeply affirming read about holding pride in one’s work and impact alongside frustration at the system and perceived lack of personal growth. This Is The Subtext is vulnerable, honest, and so specific, which only serves to make it more relatable.

This wonderful roller coaster of a play will have you laughing, crying, and thinking about it long after you experience it. Brain’s beautifully crafted play brings out challenges of life in a playwright’s paradigm that anyone can relate to. I truly look forward to this play’s production. Well done Brian!

This play is a love letter to everyone that is trying to support others while also being someone that needs support and attention as well. A play with no clear answers but will leave you with so many delicious questions to chew on. Brian has found a way to make the mundane and specificity of one's life into a compelling and universal piece of theatre. For those that love The Subtext and have been lucky enough to be loved and supported by Brian James Polak, read this play and fucking help get it produced!!

For playwrights, this is perhaps about as niche as a play could get. However, much like "A Chorus Line," its specificity lends itself to a universal story of desperately wanting to be seen by an industry that doesn't care about individual artists. Perhaps the sharpest critique of the contemporary theatre scene I've read, this play is also funny, tender, and reassuring, helped by Brian James Polak's unflinching honesty and self-awareness. Every playwright should read it.