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John Minigan

Recommended by John Minigan

  • I-talian by Bryan Stubbles
    24 Oct. 2018
    “ Bryan Stubbles has written a fast-paced, compelling play that pairs a fresh take on the idea of assimilation with a coming-of-age story, against the background of World War II and the challenges of immigrant life. The play is filled with dynamic, engaging relationships--especially between the protagonist Itala and her best friend Beatriz, as we see them negotiate love, friendship, bullies, family, and their own identities. A wide range of theatrical techniques--including stage combat, dance, and sharp, witty dialogue--make this totally engaging. And fabulous, compelling, complex high school age roles for four young women. ”
  • The Subtle, Sublime Transformation of Benny V. by Steven G. Martin
    22 Oct. 2018
    “ Plays like this remind me that the power of wonder in our lives is what can transform all of us. The action shows us how wonder opens up closed-off Benny like a flower. And when the play brings all of what we think he has achieved crashing down around him--it reminds us and assures us that it's our own ability to transform that is the real wonder in our lives. Highly theatrical, mixing expressionism, realism, a sense of circus. A beautiful, resonant work. ”
  • Conlangified by Lainie Vansant
    17 Oct. 2018
    “ Conlangified is a totally engaging mix of coming-of-age/coming-to-success in the world and rom-com, crafted with a highly theatrical sense of interplay between realistic scenes, a Greek (or Geek) Chorus, and moments when social media or chat rooms or video/TV or dreams moments come to life. Vansant's command of craft is considerable, and the metaphorical levels of the piece are captivating--with the creation of a new "conlang" (constructed language) paralleling the evolution of the relationship of two characters, and the "ways language can change" working in parallel with the changes in the main character. Really strong, clear, delightful storytelling.
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  • Being Wendy Wasserstein - A monologue by Karen Fix Curry
    17 Oct. 2018
    “ This is a strong, clear piece that brings Wendy Wasserstein's brilliance, importance and warmth to the fore. I'm a longtime fan of her plays, and have heard her speak, and Karen Fix Curry's monologue pulls together so much of what makes up the essence of Wasserstein's work and the continuing relevance of her ideas. I would love to see this piece on stage! ”
  • Swimming in Captivity by Brandon M. Crose
    14 Oct. 2018
    “ This is a very funny short. There's great visual humor here, but what's really magical is that the play's surprising plot twists and sharp writing deliver just as many laughs--both playing into and subverting the standard tropes about Millenials. Hilarious. ”
  • ACCOMMODATION by Greg Burdick
    10 Oct. 2018
    “ Greg Burdick's play brings so much of the struggle of current public education to the fore: helicopter parents (in this play, literally), administrators who are out of touch with the reality of the classroom, teachers from whom perfection is expected and whose personal troubles are pushed aside, and kids whom the system harms while trying to help. The action in the scenes is completely compelling, and Burdick interrupts the headlong rush of action with telling, wild, non-naturalistic interludes that engage the issues in new ways before plunging us back in. Riveting. (And makes me glad I retired from teaching.) ”
  • PRACTICE HOUSE by Rachael Carnes
    4 Oct. 2018
    “ A wild ride that begins with the energetic language of a play like Bald Soprano while confronting the way pop culture, advertising, and media blend with the "rules" by which women are expected to behave. These characters live in their school's and their society's "mock-up" of what their lives will be, and their mix of "how to toe the line" and the desire to rebel is real and resonant. It's very funny and then it's not--as we move from the 1930's to today, and the characters experience the legacy of those years as it plays out all around us. ”
  • Community Garden by Ben Jolivet
    2 Oct. 2018
    “ This is a powerful, TOUGH play. Jolivet gives us an engaging, meta-theatrical concept, in a theater and about a theater piece, that's deeply challenging. What does it mean to try to do good in the world--and what does it take for real political action to reach its targets? Can art be a force for positive change, or is that naive? How do we avoid falling into cynical despair? By the end, it's a hard play to watch (in the best possible way), because our assumptions have been so fundamentally questioned. An important play that "disturbs the comfortable." ”
  • Talk to Me About Home (a ten minute play) by Eugenie Carabatsos
    25 Aug. 2018
    “ This is a clear and affecting short play about the challenges of reconnecting and rediscovering a friendship that has faded. Years have passed for Kat and Beth, but the good and bad they experienced together and apart have stayed with them. The play also looks at the way a single aspect of a person or a personality can dominate our memory and how, in the same way, a single aspect of a shared past can help to bring together those who have been apart for a long time. ”
  • Recessed! Or When the Mortgage Goes Upside Down by Ellen Davis Sullivan
    25 Aug. 2018
    “ This fierce one-act takes on the worst days of the Great Recession with strong theatricality and a surprising but totally effective mix of pathos and humor. The middle-aged parents in a family struggle to maintain the appearance of the American Dream (if not the reality), and the characters around them, including their two kids, are a mix of savvy and clueless about the realities Mom and Dad face. A lively, ironic look at some very dark days, with a brilliant visual metaphor at its center. ”

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