←Recommendations of Maybe Next Year

A lovely, bittersweet, relatable short play about family and the ties that bind us, release us, and sometimes gag us. I loved learning about the Kowalski Gift Exchange and about each of these compelling characters. It's remarkable how playwright Brent Alles has been able to give us a snapshot of a complicated yet loving family in just ten minutes time. I loved the entreaty to keep the old and add something new. A perfect play for the holidays but an enjoyable read any day of the year!

The magic of Alles' "Maybe Next Year" lies in it's universality. There are echos of our family in there, no matter the level of disfunction that they may posess. Fantasically relatable, because we know these people. This is our brother, our sister... Our family. Like a blanket wrapped in tradition, this play feels like coming home.

As much as the family repeats of bad jokes, ugly sweaters, a vegetable dish no one eats - are mourned on the happiest of occasions, it's those same moments that rebuild the comfort of traditions that forms the glue in a family. Time is the final ingredient in this that enriches as all and brings us joy. What a comfortable, loving family. Perfect for a holiday festival. Well done, Brent.

I love how "lived in" the Kowalski family feels in such a short amount of time. We learn the family dynamics and the history that keeps them together. They feel like a real family living in the old traditions of holidays past, ready to build new traditions with the new generation of their family.

Of course it has to end with the beat it does. Of course the last-second decision isn't surprising. Yet still, the exact moment before, I felt my eyes burn. I almost said, "No!" I'm always amazed at a writer who can lead you to where you expect to be going, and yet can still get you lost in the emotional moment. A lovely family play from Brent Alles.

The particular fun of a family holiday filled with memories, old and new. It's wonderful to see a family that grows and yet holds on tight to each other. It would be a perfect addition to a Holiday play festival.

LOVE this Kowalski family! BRENT ALLES has given us a glimpse into a time honor holiday tradition full of loss, change, and most importantly... love. Beautiful.