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John Minigan

Recommended by John Minigan

  • The Home for Retired Canadian Girlfriends by John Bavoso
    21 Mar. 2019
    “ This is a gem of a short play. Brilliant concept and totally delightful execution. It's the best beard "limbo" imaginable, and the re-liberation (finally self-liberation) of Tiffany is worth cheering about. Very, very funny work. ”
  • African Americana by Aurin Squire
    16 Feb. 2019
    “ African Americana is filled with rage and filled with hope. It has a Brechtian shifting between narrative and dramatic moments, between gut-wrenching moments and piercing comedy. Its central character Warren tries to live and move through the six perfections, and the play does, too--working especially well as a meditation, a moral study, and as wisdom. Beautiful and engaging--so much that is unforgettable, and in a short play. Outstanding work. ”
  • HYPE MAN: a break beat play by Idris Goodwin
    16 Feb. 2019
    “ Hype Man grabs you from the first moment and weaves as complicated a set of relationships as you can imagine between three clear, passionate characters whose personal, political, and artistic selves move in and out of connection, alliance, conflict. Goodwin gives all three characters space and time to breathe, to find independence from one another, their own truths, and a way to use art to bring their truths back together. It's brilliant, compelling work all the way. ”
  • You Haven't Changed A Bit by Donna Hoke
    7 Feb. 2019
    “ This is a clear, thoroughly engaging play that opens up its story to us just as it opens up possibilities to its characters, especially to Lottie. The two characters receive great gifts in this story--hope and the grace of a human connection. Hoke gives us the same gifts. A lovely, masterfully constructed gem. ”
  • In the End by Sharai Bohannon
    7 Feb. 2019
    “ This beautiful, poetic one-act begins with a compelling mystery and weaves a central character through a series of events that capture people in moments of tremendous stress and transition. Throughout, the play has us questioning how we have become so cruel to one another and what has become of mercy in the world. Near the end, its two continuing characters find warmth through a human touch in a cold world while still questioning where we go. It's breathtaking--and leads to a stunning, rich final moment. There is so much pain and power in this lovely piece. ”
  • PARTNER OF — by Rachael Carnes
    31 Jan. 2019
    “ This play tells a story of horrors that affect the lives of its characters in the home of one of America's "great" men, and the multi-generational aspect of those horrors reflects the way both suffering and survival strategies have become part of the American legacy. There is a timelessness to this piece and a devastating, poetic rendering of pain inflicted and pain suffered. ”
  • The Bedroom Summit by Scott Sickles
    10 Dec. 2018
    “ I don't know if I've ever seen or read a ten-minute play that captures so much: young love, the pain of both the bullied and the bully, the fear of self-knowledge, and the way possibility and heartbreak weave together. Bedroom Summit is a powerhouse about the ways oppression and repression work on all parties. Beautiful and devastating work. ”
  • The Boy Who Cried Werewolf by Daniel Guyton
    31 Oct. 2018
    “ It's no surprise that this wonderful, hilarious riff on werewolf stories has had so many productions. Its characters and situations are clear, the dialogue is sharp and funny, it builds to a very satisfying reveal, and it has maybe the best canned ham running gag in all of dramatic literature. Great for any ages and any group interested in comedy or in a different spin on a classic horror genre. ”
  • THE BEARDED LADY OF PITTSBURGH by Gary Arms
    30 Oct. 2018
    “ This is a remarkable play--a clear, often hilarious, but totally unexpected look at questions of gender and identity through a historic lens. Its characters--their ambitions and their dreams--are captured with distinction and clarity and their situations feel remarkably resonant. The action builds beautifully to a joyous, hope-filled celebration. And then Arms crafts a brilliant theatrical moment that somehow does the opposite of pulling the rug out from under: it creates a greater emotional response and a broader meaning, even as it shifts our perspective on what we've been seeing. A great mix of comedy, truth, and power in this. ”
  • JOHNNY RIVERS, AMATEUR FASHION CORRESPONDENT, LIVE ON ELECTION DAY: A MONOLOGUE by Asher Wyndham
    24 Oct. 2018
    “ When you laugh out loud reading a monologue on a laptop screen, you know it's working. Johnny Rivers knows his audience, engages his audience, and if he isn't moving that audience to get themselves to the polls and vote, then there's no hope. And that he is a middle school age character makes him that much more endearing. The overall effect of this is celebratory--of Johnny, of the folks he encounters in the line, and of the act of getting to the voting booth, no matter what you look like. Fabulous work. ”

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