The Opposite of ERSTWHILE

2026 Playwright's Thriving Playwright's Delight! Title: ERSTWHILE

Synopsis: 15 minute play. A meditation on male friendship, grief, the nature of art, and apricots.

2026 Playwright's Thriving Playwright's Delight! Title: ERSTWHILE

Synopsis: 15 minute play. A meditation on male friendship, grief, the nature of art, and apricots.

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The Opposite of ERSTWHILE

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  • Scott Sickles: The Opposite of ERSTWHILE

    A couple of old guys sitting around talkin'... Green's exquisite ode to later-in-life transitions sublimely examines the tectonic shifts that happen over coffee as the play dissects the Venn diagram between growing old, growing up, and the precarious overlap in the middle. Another one that demands being read aloud so that the reader can channel the characters through their remarkably individuated voices and unique personas. (I had a blast!) An absolute gem for old souls and immature spirits

    A couple of old guys sitting around talkin'... Green's exquisite ode to later-in-life transitions sublimely examines the tectonic shifts that happen over coffee as the play dissects the Venn diagram between growing old, growing up, and the precarious overlap in the middle. Another one that demands being read aloud so that the reader can channel the characters through their remarkably individuated voices and unique personas. (I had a blast!) An absolute gem for old souls and immature spirits

  • Claudia Haas: The Opposite of ERSTWHILE

    "Everyone needs somewhere to be." And Green gives us the most marvelous place to be - right next to three men who are navigating life after work, the nuances of friendship and the challenges of retirement. As the men look back at their erstwhile life, what really stands out is the future they are creating, the bonds they are forging and the newness and rediscovery of being who they always probably were once upon a time.

    "Everyone needs somewhere to be." And Green gives us the most marvelous place to be - right next to three men who are navigating life after work, the nuances of friendship and the challenges of retirement. As the men look back at their erstwhile life, what really stands out is the future they are creating, the bonds they are forging and the newness and rediscovery of being who they always probably were once upon a time.

  • D. Lee Miller: The Opposite of ERSTWHILE

    This is my first Mathew Green play and it was so heartfelt. I loved seeing men caring about each other with different levels of ease. Women often learn - certainly about married men - from their partners. I loved hearing about their lives firsthand - and I felt I knew them. Green skillfully lets the audience know what is truly going on while all of them may not know - and he kicks you in the butt at the end. These are people who have lived and are learning to offer their views.

    This is my first Mathew Green play and it was so heartfelt. I loved seeing men caring about each other with different levels of ease. Women often learn - certainly about married men - from their partners. I loved hearing about their lives firsthand - and I felt I knew them. Green skillfully lets the audience know what is truly going on while all of them may not know - and he kicks you in the butt at the end. These are people who have lived and are learning to offer their views.

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