←Recommendations of clownfishing

A buddy comedy. A psychological thriller. A millennial reckoning. "clownfishing" runs the gamut with the razor wit of "Gone Girl" and the gentle touch of an eighteen wheeler. Wherever this soda-drenched opus plays next, do not miss it. 5 starz.

Like the best clowns, this play juggles so many balls at once: gender dysmorphia, romantic perfectionism, intergenerational grief, school bullying, digital anonymity. That it lands each of these points, while establishing some of the cleanest stage language I've ever seen used to dramatize the Internet, feels like a minor miracle. Every character is a FEAST for the actors, especially Bryson. As the play itself says, "if you don't laugh, you'll cry" – a promise, a threat, a hope.

In a lesser playwright's hands, this would simply be a high school dramedy pastiche about a lie that goes too far. Bailey Jordan Garcia's sharp insight and soulful characters elevate this into a riveting exploration of identity and sexuality, and the ways that technology amplify our deepest desires and our darkest secrets. A brilliant play that is ready as-is for full production.

Clownfishing is one of my new absolute favorite plays. Ever. BJG’s witty dialogue and hilarious moments keep the audience afloat, all while laying the ground work for one of the most heartbreaking stories I’ve ever seen. Every character has incredible nuance, and I cannot stress enough how important this story is— This play has a long future ahead of it.

pulls no punches. incredibly funny. some of the most interesting & complex roles for women i've seen in a while. even trevor, who in a worse version of this play would stay a one-dimensional buffoon, is rendered with such care and empathy (the kroger ham/roast beef monologues should be in the greater college audition canon imo.)

This is such a smart play - it never goes for the obvious or easy choice, and always pushes the story into the most interesting and surprising possible territory. The characters are achingly human, and the way Garcia knots together so many different strands of longing and loss is really impressive. It's really hard to write a play about overlapping major life changes like this, but this script soars!