Recommended by Paul Donnelly

  • Paul Donnelly: Karen and the No Good, Very Bad, Terrible, Horrible Day (Solo Edition)

    Karen has no idea just how terrible her day is going to be, does she? But before the final reveal we are treated to a witty cavalcade of unbridled privilege run amok. The satire of the constant demands to speak to a manager is spot on, until finally Karen has a situation that no manager can fix. This piece is great fun and amusingly true to life.

    Karen has no idea just how terrible her day is going to be, does she? But before the final reveal we are treated to a witty cavalcade of unbridled privilege run amok. The satire of the constant demands to speak to a manager is spot on, until finally Karen has a situation that no manager can fix. This piece is great fun and amusingly true to life.

  • Paul Donnelly: SLOW OUR SHIP - an 8-minute period drama for two actors

    We see a life together form and then be torn apart. It's a delight to watch their flirtation and courtship and deeply moving to watch Siobhan's grief and fury at her loss. The direct addresses to the audience set a tone and clarify transitions and the dialogue is charming and then raw, but every beat rings true. This short play packs a powerful emotional punch.

    We see a life together form and then be torn apart. It's a delight to watch their flirtation and courtship and deeply moving to watch Siobhan's grief and fury at her loss. The direct addresses to the audience set a tone and clarify transitions and the dialogue is charming and then raw, but every beat rings true. This short play packs a powerful emotional punch.

  • Paul Donnelly: I am the Center of My Universe

    This is a lovely meditation on the universe and our place in it, the magic of art, and the constancy of change. Lyrically tying the creation of art to the expansion of the universe offers a moving reflection on the human spirit. I was moved and filled with delight by this monologue and its final line.

    This is a lovely meditation on the universe and our place in it, the magic of art, and the constancy of change. Lyrically tying the creation of art to the expansion of the universe offers a moving reflection on the human spirit. I was moved and filled with delight by this monologue and its final line.

  • Paul Donnelly: Jimmy Carter Builds a House

    A witty salute to Jimmy Carter's enduring decency and long life of service. God didn't stand a chance.

    A witty salute to Jimmy Carter's enduring decency and long life of service. God didn't stand a chance.

  • Paul Donnelly: DUTIFUL DAUGHTER: A MONOLOGUE

    So much pain and desperation courses under this daughter's description of the items for sale in this yard sale. Objects hold value far beyond their prices. The fear she faces at the coming change in her life is palpable. The unsaid has such weight in this moving study of the cost of a parent's dementia.

    So much pain and desperation courses under this daughter's description of the items for sale in this yard sale. Objects hold value far beyond their prices. The fear she faces at the coming change in her life is palpable. The unsaid has such weight in this moving study of the cost of a parent's dementia.

  • Paul Donnelly: The Juggler

    It's not easy being evil, especially when you are prone to malapropisms and your back up skill is the accordion. This engagingly silly play is a pure delight.

    It's not easy being evil, especially when you are prone to malapropisms and your back up skill is the accordion. This engagingly silly play is a pure delight.

  • Paul Donnelly: A ROM-COM (SORT OF)

    An off-kilter comedy of the most amusing sort. The dialogue crackles and the characters are wittily absurd. Gerry, Dusty, and Andy are such good company and Jack makes an excellent foil. All-in-all a delightful comic confection.

    An off-kilter comedy of the most amusing sort. The dialogue crackles and the characters are wittily absurd. Gerry, Dusty, and Andy are such good company and Jack makes an excellent foil. All-in-all a delightful comic confection.

  • Paul Donnelly: Until today: A Ten-Minute Play

    What a lovely and heartening romantic comedy! There is much humor mined from the awkwardness of this encounter (the mix up of in the head and spoken out loud sentiments is particularly amusing). There is also much joy to be found in the authenticity of their connection. This is a truly endearing and engaging piece.

    What a lovely and heartening romantic comedy! There is much humor mined from the awkwardness of this encounter (the mix up of in the head and spoken out loud sentiments is particularly amusing). There is also much joy to be found in the authenticity of their connection. This is a truly endearing and engaging piece.

  • Paul Donnelly: Rapunzel, on the Couch

    What a dark and powerful re-imagining of a classic fairy tale. Despite her adult successes we see Rapunzel dragged down by childhood trauma. Her hair, both her greatest gift and her greatest burden, narrates the story of her life and downfall. Rapunzel's fate seems both tragic and inevitable. I can only reiterate that this is a dark and powerful narrative.

    What a dark and powerful re-imagining of a classic fairy tale. Despite her adult successes we see Rapunzel dragged down by childhood trauma. Her hair, both her greatest gift and her greatest burden, narrates the story of her life and downfall. Rapunzel's fate seems both tragic and inevitable. I can only reiterate that this is a dark and powerful narrative.

  • Paul Donnelly: Thank You For Coming

    Minnie and Aster are so real and their dialogue rings so true - full of awkwardness and memory and longing. They have developed very different lives since their break up, but their connection remains powerful and poignant. This is a well-realized portrait of an important moment in both of their lives.

    Minnie and Aster are so real and their dialogue rings so true - full of awkwardness and memory and longing. They have developed very different lives since their break up, but their connection remains powerful and poignant. This is a well-realized portrait of an important moment in both of their lives.