←Recommendations of They have become the forest

A tree-loving play that pulls off Daphne’s side of the Apollo story, a feat Ovid himself would admire, given the chance, is Aly Kantor’s astonishing and brilliant “They have become the forest.” The outdoor cousin to her indoor OCCUPIED, I love most the play’s gradual build from fun and playful to perceptive and ominous to deep and powerful. This material in the hands of any other writer would fall short of a mythical touchstone for our times. Aly's work is essential to whom we are. [7-4-26]

Aly Kantor exercises her gift for reinterpreting Classical mythology, combining two perhaps lesser-known tales into a love story that's queer, funny, sad, terrifying, enraging, and heart-swelling. Myths endure across time because humans are who we are, ever and always: straining against societal restrictions, stumbling as we figure ourselves out and learn to get what we want...and finding out the hard way that men, alas, can be toxic and deadly. But resistance and love endure. Magic.

Chef's kiss to this beautiful ode to Greek mythology, male brutality, the quest to live as one wishes. A thoroughly involving tale woven from strands both ancient and newfangled. Huzzah, Aly Kantor, you've done it again.

A new myth grafted onto two ancient ones, reimagined with action, music, self defense tutorials against horny nature spirits and a goat guy...thing.

Like Athena springing fully formed from Zeus' head, these two Naiads -- who spend far too much time worrying what Artemis thinks-- spring fully formed from the mind of Aly Kantor: nerdy, sensitive, passionate, smart and (a fav word of AK) messy. Perfectly Kantoresque.

Love the tree imagery; it adds a literal denouement. Brava!