Recommended by Samantha Cooper

  • SOPHIA HAYDEN DESERVES BETTER
    9 May. 2022
    The themes of this engaging historical docudrama reverberate from 1891 until modern day. To experience Sophia go from so much hope and promise to the inevitable conclusion based on the circumstances is heartbreaking and Walker does a great job of telling that story. Using memory and jumps in time is an effective device for the play. And lots of great parts, especially for women!
  • Rivalry
    28 Apr. 2022
    Jennifer and Maria's relationship is clearly established from the start. The natural ebbs and flows of their conversation and emotions while waiting for news about their mother feels very natural. This lovely short play candidly explores universal themes of personal facades, family, and mending broken relationships very nicely.
  • Lifted Up
    27 Apr. 2022
    An intriguing set up for exploration of a digital afterlife vs. a physical afterlife and how those two things might, actually, be the same. The caring relationship between the two friends/pastors creates an open space for tough ideas and differences of opinions. Overall, you feel the love the two have for each other even in light of a great uncertainty of the future.
  • Spiked
    27 Apr. 2022
    Setting the budding relationship between Penn and Alexis against a background of tree rescue and environmental justice creates an exciting and active plot arc in this ten-minute play. Both Penn and Alexis are well-drawn characters and we get a good picture of their backstories in easy and comfortable ways. The activities of the play are also an accessible way into ideas of environmental justice for a larger audience. With two great parts for actors, this would be a lovely play to add to any 10 minute play festival.
  • Tidal Lock
    27 Apr. 2022
    From the start of this ten-minute play, you can feel the history and depths of the friendship between Dee and Linda. Their relationship is steeped in the realities of growing up and the illusive hope that one event might change it all. The excitement at the possibilities of a new world is genuine, the let down is honest, and their reliance on each other for support is heartfelt. A lovely read!
  • ELMYR
    21 Apr. 2022
    In a play about the world of art forgery, what a joy to have a whole host of unreliable narrators. It is a device that fits the narrative and fits it well. This play is a funny exploration of what is considered real and what is considered fake and who decides. With four people playing all the characters, the opportunities to stretch the acting chops and really play into the humor are many.
  • Everyone Calls Her Grace
    18 Apr. 2022
    This play deftly uses the spaces between history and the history we are told to explore parallel experiences between the people creating a play about Grace O'Malley and the real Pirate Queen Grace O'Malley. The language is quick paced and often poetic. Wagner also leans on some great moments of silence to further indicate where lapses in history come from. All the Graces and Maeve are especially great parts for actors to sink their swords into.
  • Mediocre Heterosexual Sex
    13 Apr. 2022
    This play has a little bit of everything: lightning paced and witty dialogue, great well-rounded parts for the whole cast, thoughtful and honest insights into sex, relationships, gender, and why we want what we want, and a little bit of snack charming. The fluidity between spaces really adds to the fluidity of the discussions of gender and sexuality. I was engaged from the very first moment to the very last moment.
  • Perfect Attendance
    28 Mar. 2022
    This is such a delightful one-act play. The dialogue is quick and witty, the pacing is chaotic in the best way. All the characters are clearly defined even in such a short amount of time. There are some good surprise shifts along the way. This has great opportunities for teenage actors and would also be a really fun play to watch.
  • Actually, Honestly Going to Fucking Die
    22 Mar. 2022
    Absurdist. Bright. Funny. Poetic. Gorgeously paced. Beautiful language. I could really go on. This play is one hell of a ride. It goes from everyday to huge and theatrical to an ending that is vulnerable, incredibly poignant, and heart-wrenching. Much like a trip through Area 51, there is so much to discover in this play about loneliness, asking for help, addiction, and ultimately recovery. A must-read and a must-produce!

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