←Recommendations of Erstwhile

A very brave, no-holds barred monologue, one of those works in which the writer clearly holds up his heart within his words and hopefully, in doing so, both finds peace and passes some sort of peace on to others in their own situations. Braverman pulls no punches and speaks only truths, and we in the audience are very fortunate that he trusts us to receive his story. Thank you, Paul.

Grief is not a choice. Forgiveness is not an isolated action. It is a constant battle. Paul Braverman details the long journey to balance for a brother who knows all too well that balance is something easily toppled. This powerful monologue builds and builds to a thoroughly satisfying climax.

03/31/2026 - A monologue that is as gripping as it is powerful. I love how we learn more and more about the relationship between the two brothers as the monologue unfolds, including the good, the bad, and the various twists and turns. This would be the kind of monologue that would put audiences on the edge of their seats as they listen to every word. Great work!

This powerful monologue is still rattling in my chest. Paul Braverman's ERSTWHILE, about the reconciliation of two brothers (one dead) is a tale of all the colors between love and hate. When his brother's life is revealed, you don't wonder at the 32 years it took to reconcile. What sustains is the voice of brotherly love, the intimacy of the monologue and the healing that has taken place in the 32 years. The hurt and sorrow are still there. The hell of it. Brilliant monologue.

This monologue brilliantly and unflinchingly acknowledges what it feels like to love (or have loved) a flawed human being - when you're feeling guilty about not feeling guilty enough. I love this speaker's solution, and the ways he was clearly changed by such a harrowing, scarring experience. The backstory is rich with details of a life that feels complicated and authentic. The 'erstwhile' prompt was incorporated gorgeously and effectively, serving as a thread that guides us to the resolution.

The most important question a playwright must address (anytime a character speaks but especially) in a monologue is: why must this be said now??? That's especially tricky with a graveside vigil because, clearly, the living speaker is addressing the dead too late. Or are they? Braverman composes both a requiem and a reckoning between brothers, creating a full understand of why the departed was both impossible to live with and impossible not to love. As for "why now?" I'll leave that for you discover. Its a punch to the chest.

This monologue is so real and is rendered with such utter truth that it is nearly unbearable to read, just as it would to see performed. And it took enormous self confidence on the part of the author, Paul Braverman, to pen such a work. Powerful, heartbreaking, necessary. Kudos!

This monologue starts out so evenly, calmly with our speaker reading off a list of things to be read at the grave site of his brother. But it turns suddenly as emotions, memories and details turn raw and we're brought back 30+ years, just as if the grave has been newly dug and is just now being dealt with. Poignant.

The loss of a brother through suicide is excruciating. When one's feelings for that brother are deeply mixed, one is carried to a further level of pain. This gripping monologue explores that pain and paints a vivid portrait of the late brother. A powerful, powerful work.

ERSTWHILE by Paul Braverman is a beautifully written monologue. The honest and raw emotion presented is quite powerful. Thank you to the playwright for sharing.