←Recommendations of THE MOUNTAIN OF THE SERVANTS OF GOD

Syran's thought provoking play will have you asking important questions of humanity and our relationship to deep rich history in art. The play's intricate premise and interesting characters all in a pressure cooker race against time to save history.

Wow, this is such a great play. I found it riveting. Syran’s ability to put us smack-dab and utterly convincingly into an archaeological dig at a monastery in southeastern Turkey is just so impressive, and with its complex believable characters, skillful dialogue, universal relatable themes and a “ticking clock” that sets the stakes very high, this play would make a terrific theatrical experience for audiences of all kinds.

The clock on this play is so very real! My heart was racing as I got to the end. The relics of the past in physical and emotional form both racing against the clock to be saved...or at least preserved. A powerful female forward story for the ages.

This play is a race against the clock to save a mosaic from floodwaters behind a new dam. I love the juxtaposition of the water covering everything and new artists covering old artwork with their own. I learned so much in such an engaging way from this piece! What a fabulous piece of theater!

When listening to this play I imagined the indoors of a 4th century Christian church, with niches and candles, and ancient iconography. I could see it clinging to the side of a hill with flood waters rising from below and a race to preserve the strata of such an historic place. It is a character study, where the non-diluvian complications flow from people who are lived-in and complex. It's a testament to the power of the real place that Nora felt compelled to present it to us.

07/19/2025 - A profound piece which shines a light on incidents and events that have not gotten the kind of attention they rightfully deserve. Nora does an incredible job creating original characters against a very real backdrop. Grounded, insightful, believable, and gripping from beginning to end, Mountain of the Servants of God is an incredible piece of theatre that demands to be seen!

Drawing from public record while building a world all her own, Nora Louise Syran leads readers and audiences through a revelatory, captivating dig into her characters’ innermost drives in the face of looming disaster. As natural and devised forces converge to wash away a small Turkish community, an archeologist races to preserve evidence of the region’s complex history. Characters are nuanced and layered, and anyone who spends time in this world will come away with more than an insight or two.

Syran has a gift for creating worlds that are rich in history, sensory details, and deep, authentic passion, driving her stories forward and keeping audiences rooting for the protagonist. This excavation of history and the value of doing meaningful work (even if the world doesn't want you to) is right on brand. Through intimate, active dialogue, we get to see the ways in which both people and systems are fallible . It's loaded with rich, specific characters and some fantastic roles for women!

Nora Lousie Syran uses her vast wealth of knowledge and lived experience to craft an engaging tale centering around the work of archeologists. This is not a story featuring the exploits of Indiana Jones - instead a more grounded telling where history and our need to preserve it clashes with modernization and moving on. This occurs not just on the geographical level - but on the personal level as well. The stakes rise with the water, building tension to the climax. I'd Love to see this staged.