←Recommendations of THE PLATYPODES

An important story that is all too silent in this country and is finally given a voice. Needed and well done.

THE PLATYPODES has long been on my to-read list, and I'm so glad I finally had a chance to encounter this rare, vibrant play. Wyndham has gifted us with complicated characters in a difficult situation. An interesting and complex discussion of the intricacies of women's rights and neurological differences.

Before I even read the first scene, I was in awe with how organized the breakdown page was, which truly enhanced my reading experience of “The Platypodes.” This was unlike anything I’ve read on this site. Asher Wyndham Bowles squeezes every drop of emotion out of these characters as we experience the troubles they do. This is an important and balanced play that deserves to be seen and read, one that touches on important issues that are still ongoing today.

A play that does not let its characters off easy while tackling a very prickly issue. The Platypodes is an emotional rollercoaster, pulling you along for the ride.

Asher Wyndham packs quite a punch in "The Platypodes," a rare full-length that delivers on the promise of his exquisite monologues with exquisite force. A divisive subject matter, a clear point of view, and – especially – memorable characters with aching wants and needs make this a work that lingers long after one's read it. And I suspect, after one has seen it once it gets produced. Which it should be. Often.

Huge kudos to Asher Wyndham for diving into the moral complexities of a divisive issue and coming up with a story that is rich, challenging and rewarding. This play had me thinking about the characters for days afterward, and I'm sure a full production would be even more profound. No matter where you stand on the abortion debate, this will have you rethinking your assumptions.

Wyndham works in such theatrical ways here! It's a great script to read for putting life onstage while still keeping it fresh and amazing! I love the characters because I really want to root for them. I love VITO because he's always in the thick of it, and his emotional life is so public! What an incredible character he is! And the female protagonist never gives up. There is no better time than now for a play that addresses these issues!

“The Platypodes” makes political pronouncements look hollow by fleshing out the heart-breaking predicament of a woman whose devotion to her brother has drained her of any capacity to care for the baby she’s expecting. The criminalization of choice and incomprehension of zealots make Down’s Syndrome a public issue at odds with her own experience, a tragic isolation Wyndham conveys with sympathy and wit. The play’s dramatic inventiveness resists every platitude risked by its daring plot.

I'll add my voice to the chorus of people recommending this insightful and wrenching play. In addition to the being impressed by the morally complex situations these nuanced characters face, I am left thinking about how wonderfully theatrical this play is--the way it plays with space, time, and transitions is superb. Just reading it paints a vivid and visually dynamic image in my head which, no doubt, would be totally different than another director's equally intriguing interpretation of the physical space, sounds, etc. All this is to say I hope to see this in production sometime in the near future!

A powerful play about big issues told at a very personal level. As Allegra struggles to do what she feels to be right for the one she loves the most in the world, her brother, she is torn apart trying to make him understand. What should be a private matter becomes very public. A work that sparks conversations. Well done.