←Recommendations of Mighty Mac

August Strindberg, Michael Ondaatje or Jane Campion levels of toughness, style, psychology, intelligence, emotional wallop, and behavioral bizarreness. Devastating possibilities.

02.20.26 - In war the casualties don't always stop on the battlefield. Some soldiers recover while others... This is brought to the fore in Micaele Johnson's grim tale about the grisly aftermath of a battle which hasn't ended for the two soldiers in this play. While one seems beyond help, the other continues to feel his presence. This is the stuff of good drama, and I think it should be seen by an audience.

Heartbreaking and haunting, Mighty Mac offers a raw glimpse into WWI’s physical and moral wreckage. Johnson’s spare, vivid writing gives actors meaty emotional terrain, capturing friendship, guilt, and the brutal aftermath of battle in a single, devastating moment.

Utterly heartbreaking. War ravages the body as much as the mind. Poor Kenny has made a promise, one he intends to keep at all cost, but the consequences of his actions were decided on the battlefield more so than this desperate moment.
Simple, yet beautifully told.

This short piece provides a horrific glimpse of the brutality of war. Set in a WWI makeshift hospital, the wounds are deep, the conditions unsanitary, and the care practically nonexistent. Micaele Johnson’s writing provides the kind of depth any actor would want to sink their teeth into. I feel like there’s more of this story waiting to be told, and if Johnson decides to tell it, I’m all in.

This piece left me feeling empty and sad. Those who were supposed to take care of the people we sent out to protect our freedoms weren't always doing the best they could. It wasn't just the physical atrocities of war that killed, but the mental strain and apathy was just as deadly. Each soldier lost had a story beyond the battlefield. Those stories deserve to be heard.

This play is elusive in the best possible way. Dialogue (mostly monologue) driven, forcing the audience to solve a mystery within its words. I would have been happy to spend more time with these characters, but 10 minutes is a perfect snapshot, evocative and just a tiny bit out of focus. Great work.

The horrors of war are not isolated to the battlefield. The injuries are not merely of the flesh. This gripping, terse drama surges with the nervous energy of combat and the desperate attempts to cling to sanity long after it has slipped from one’s grasp.

This haunting piece will stay with you long after you leave. The setting, the pace, the tension are palpable, and Kenny's internal monologue spoken out loud bares his soul and the intense connection between him and his wounded comrade. If war is truly Hell, this is where it is proven true with the relentless pain and suffering; not just from the battle wounds but from the sense of impending loss. You will not forget this, and you should not.

An atmospheric hospital drama set at the close of WWI, Mighty Mac is a grand farewell to the moments we pass through, when we say goodbye to one chapter of our lives, and take a deep breath for the start of the next. Two soldiers, wounded and recovering in a field hospital, attempt to recover from both their wounds, but the emotional toil of the war. One will face unexpected results, while the other only adds to the emotional toll. A gritty and deeply atmospheric piece.