←Recommendations of Appetizers, or "On an Island Somewhere"

11.25.24 - With an eye on where this country seems hell-bent on imposing it's Christian viewpoint, Scott Sickles imagines a f*cking frightening scenario where vacation-styled "camps" for religious indoctrination are forced upon those deemed deviant. The characters are both secretly sad at this program they must undergo, and infuriating in their acceptance (and in some cases, willingness) to belong. This should be seen by as many audiences as possible and right now. This is closer than we think.

If he hasn’t already, Scott Sickles could easily compile an anthology of cautionary plays about the shift in America toward ultra-right Christian nationalism. And this play would could serve as either the intriguing intro or the frightening conclusion. Outstanding, important work.

This play is a structural snare, and it's brilliant. Detail by tiny, agonizing detail, a spirited island get-together transforms into something more sinister. As an audience member, it felt like eavesdropping, creating a sense of powerful intimacy. My giddiness over these secret connections was at war with my sense of dread - and the painful reversal was the nail in the coffin. Ultimately, this smart, subtle piece is painfully prescient and effective - necessary storytelling for this moment!

Scott shows us the potential future of our world through the lens of love, despite the tendency to want to lean towards hate and anger, the message I found in this show is that love will find a way. But in the ending, it's also a message that hate will never go away.

Sickles shows us a world that already exists in some parts of our world and even our country through this wonderfully told story, where you must hide who you are, and have to be careful who knows the real you. Highly recommend.

This piece is terrifying, tying in all the aspects that make books like 1984 so unsettling. There is always someone watching waiting for you to step out of line, and they are waiting for you to give them a reason to punish you. Scott Sickles does it again with this piece. Bravo!

This is a play that feels increasingly prescient as more LGBTQ+ hate permeates American culture. A gutting dystopian play with expert precision, "Appetizers" races toward tragedy. The expository information is communicated seamlessly, tying in effortlessly with the forward motion of the plot. These 4 characters all experience a relatable internal push and pull, as the mask of heteronormativity cracks under the pressure of its own falsehood. The internal struggle of all 4 characters speaks eloquently to the experience of being told an aspect of identity is "wrong." An excellent satire of modern America.

As satirical this situation is, it is also a little chilling. There are people who really want this "island somewhere" and to see the characters struggle with wanting to be themselves, but also wanting to "go home," it's heartbreaking. Alice can't even have a dog?! Come on! This is a very powerful piece!

The march to fascism ends with the scenario Scott Sickles so vividly lays before the audience in this horror play. In a dystopian future where gays are sent to "camps" for conversion, two couples try to navigate the precarious waters as they see how much they can trust each other.
This play is heartbreaking and angrifying, an alchemy that only Scott can accomplish.

This is a lovely, disturbing, terrifying cautionary tale. Perhaps not so cautionary, as this “Handmaid’s Tale”-adjacent scenario may not be that far off. Sickles presents deeply conflicted characters in an unnatural – and let’s face it, evil – scenario, and makes them, and the scenario, distressingly believable. An extremely well-done ten-minute journey that should make us all stand up and scream about what’s happening right now in our world. Because worlds like Sickles has created here don’t spring into existence overnight. Or without a lot of complicity and complacency.

I had the pleasure of watching The Greenhouse Ensemble's Zoom production of this piece. This play is a telling and heartbreaking look at conversion therapy, featuring Sickles's blend of warmth and wit, reminding us that the political is always personal, and the personal is always political (shout it from the rooftops!). I should also mention that the production itself was wonderful! The Greenhouse Ensemble is a great troupe!