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Conor McShane

Recommended by Conor McShane

  • Vortigern - A True Story by Joshua Fardon
    29 Sep. 2022
    “ They say good artists borrow and great artists steal, and Joshua Fardon makes that thrillingly literal in this captivating historical yarn. The play gets at some big ideas about the value of art--how a work's value is determined by how much someone is willing to pay for it, how our emotional attachments allow us to create our own truths. All art is forgery in its own way, the play suggests, so is William Ireland any less of an artist than Shakespeare, himself as much an invention as a real man? What does "authenticity" mean, anyway? ”
  • SOPHIA HAYDEN DESERVES BETTER by Stephanie Alison Walker
    20 Sep. 2022
    “ A fascinating tale of talent and ambition deferred by a society that's all too comfortable deciding who gets to be called "genius," and any display of emotion is used as justification for women's "unfitness" for traditionally male roles. In Walker's hands, it's no dry history lesson, but rather a beautifully constructed and deeply engaging piece of theatre. Despite its heavy themes, it's written with a light touch, making plenty of room for sly humor. A terrific work all around! ”
  • Nightwatch by Max Yu
    12 Sep. 2022
    “ A grounded, beautifully rendered tale about, to my mind, how hard it is to really understand the generations that come before us, and that goes double for first generation Americans, growing up a world away, and how important it is to hold onto and share those stories. ”
  • A Medusa Thread by Candrice Jones
    29 Aug. 2022
    “ A deeply moving play that refashions Greek myth in a fascinating and poignant way. The central concept of the salon as a way station where people can be cleansed and made ready for their afterlife is such a perfect idea that's executed brilliantly here. Medusa is such a fascinating figure, a victim made into a monster, and this play does a great job of reclaiming her story and that of all the other survivors, giving them the agency to be seen as more than just what was done to them. ”
  • Bad in Bed (A Fairy Tale) by Karen Saari
    25 Aug. 2022
    “ This play feels very grown-up, in the best possible way. Despite its slightly fantastical premise, it feels like a play about real people trying to grow and change and be better, that gets at some pretty relatable themes. It's easy to blame our circumstances on some outside force like a witch's curse, but we can't truly change unless we own up to our flaws and try to learn from them. Also, as a native Michigander (from the lower peninsula), I'm a sucker for any play set in my home state! ”
  • The Day Naguib Mahfouz Was Stabbed In The Neck And Almost Died (a.k.a. The Selkie Play) by Denmo Ibrahim
    23 Aug. 2022
    “ A beautiful, lyrical, magical-realist meditation on family, faith, loss, and food. I love any play that gives us fantastical directions and lets us imagine how it would be done. It's a world to get lost in. ”
  • Sand Man by G William Zorn
    17 Aug. 2022
    “ A beautifully constructed play with sharply written dialogue and a surreal, dreamlike feel. The inciting incident may have happened 15 years ago, but feels more timely than ever, in our current age of the 24 hour news cycle when another tragedy makes the news every day. It's exhausting to care, particularly when it seems like nobody else does, and the play's bleak-yet-hopeful conclusion reinforces just how hard it is to cut through the noise. ”
  • The Art of What You Want by Nat Cassidy
    17 Aug. 2022
    “ At first I thought this play was going to be a fairly straightforward "haunted house as metaphor for grief" kind of thing, and then...well, suffice it to say, that is not where we end up. Skin-crawling and shudder-inducing even on the page, I can only imagine what it would be like to see this play in person! ”
  • Wildfire and the Bird Scouts by Kristin Idaszak
    18 Jul. 2022
    “ A delightful and well-told tale that gets at some very important truths for young audiences, with characters they can quickly latch onto. I particularly loved the characterization of Wildfire and the reminder that even she is essential to keep the forest in balance. ”
  • All Eight by Lilly Camp
    21 Jun. 2022
    “ As someone who was not blessed with any innate athletic ability, I know as little about sports as humanly possible, but I love any time a play can put me in a very specific world that feels real and lived-in, and this play definitely accomplishes that. I don't think you have to know much about crew to appreciate the character dynamics and the mix of camaraderie and competition among the rowers. ”

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