←Recommendations of The Dream. The Curtains. The Mouse. A short horror trilogy

This script, like a dream, requires reflection. Analysis.
But, also like a dream, its meaning changes based on who is doing the reflection. Analysis.
One part social commentary, one part nightmare... Or is the nightmare actually the commentary?
A surrealist whirlpool that will get into your soul and change you. A fantastic piece of writing, a favorite from the 2025 Midwest Dramatist Conference, I hope to see fully realized on stage in the near future.

I saw a reading of the first part of this play at the 2025 Midwest Dramatists Conference in Kansas City, then I came here to read the rest. Then I came back to read it through again. That's the type of play it is. You may not understand it the first time through. Or the second. But it pulls you in. Read it and you will understand what I mean.

Part One may be "The Dream" but all three parts put together makes for an exquisite nightmare. Few dream plays actually achieve the surreal impressionistic quality of real dreams the way this trypich does. The first half especially is an onslaught of ever-changing circumstances each more unsettling than the last. After that, the dreamscape becomes more grounded but no less volatile and dangerous. You can never be sure of the ground beneath your feet... if there even is any. A chilling hellscape.

I saw the first part of this at the Midwest Dramatists Conference as a partial staged reading. Creepy and mysterious, the audience is constantly trying to figure out what is in this weird terror. Lots of room for the director and actors to play and for audience members to bring their own imaginations.

What a strange, brooding atmosphere this conjures, very much living up the title of the first part of this trilogy. Things seem to make sense, but then they shift--in shape, in tone, in direction. One of the few plays I've ever seen that successfully evokes the feeling of being in a dream, especially one freighted with dread. Creepy in the best sense, and suggestive of buried secrets. What a rich opportunity for an imaginative director to stage with adventurous actor!

10/26/2025: I saw an excellent staged reading of a 10-minute version of this brilliant play at the Midwest Dramatists Conference 2025. This was so powerful, so poignant, so provocative. Imaginations abound as the dreamy hellscape brings out the darkest fears and secrets buried deep inside the minds. The actors and directors would have a field day blocking and performing this complex, challenging, and immensely satisfying piece, and the audience will enjoy it to the fullest! Bravo!