←Recommendations of Erstwhile or The Birth of an Old Soul

A mystically original short play for two female characters who are trapped in a "quicksand" of sorts, but who help each other "mov[e] forward." Engaging work.

History blends with reality blends with dream blends with the past blends with the present. Miller delivers a strong showcase for two women in your performing troupe, open to all sorts of staging and interpretation.

I have never encountered a play like this one - what a wholly original idea! This short in which one character has absorbed some of the memories of the other character feels like a dream itself. I love how memories are held in items (isn't that how it feels in real life too?) and the idea of a collective consciousness. SO neat.

A very interesting premise. D. Lee Miller wisely allows the audience to put the pieces together in a slow burn. A couple of great roles await actors lucky enough to be cast in this short. Engaging work.

What a delightfully odd encounter... Supernatural? Fantastical? Ultimately, a thought-provoking bit of unearthed theatrical treasure!

This thought-provoking short play from D. Lee Miller gains depth with each reading. The relationship between Letty and Mari is somehow both old and new, as each character wrestles with both what is real and what comes next. The play raises more questions than it answers, but makes very clear the inter-connectedness of all.

Right off the bat, the setting was just fascinating for me, and then the rest of the play followed suit. You have two very interesting characters sharing their stories with each other. As things are slowly revealed, you get to revel in the full story, and yet at the end, was it real? Was it dreamed? That's what I love about this ten-minute; the ultimate meaning is up for grabs. Yet, still very human as we get to spend time with Letty and Mari. Extremely enjoyable. Should make for great staging.

At the museum where I used to work, one of my favorite exhibits was the one showcasing treasures found among the detritus in the filled in land that became New York City. This play felt like one of the stories I might have told myself while studying pieces in the collection. I love the way human beings spring from earrings and buttons in this play, reminding us that "trash" always had another life. The atmosphere of this play is eerie and magical. This is a treat for lovers of history!

This play was rendered with such depth, with such thought and deeply felt care that it will take another reading to absorb the full force of the writers creative intent. D. Lee Miller's "Erstwhile or The Birth of an Old Soul" operates on three levels - the past, present and future. Only a writer of tremendous skill and self confidence could have pulled something like this off. Thank you, my dear!

This made me feel like I was recognizing dreams, too. Like we're all connected whether we're real or fiction, we're all connected. We just have to listen and share. A most charming tapestry of a tale.