Recommended by Paul Donnelly

  • Paul Donnelly: To the Class of Miskatonic University 2022

    The class of 22 found the pandemic shutdown a relief from the horrors of life at M.U. Shelby recounts those horrors in an escalating torrent of dark comedy. This goes way beyond a simple parody of commencement speeches and launches into a lunatic realm all its own.

    The class of 22 found the pandemic shutdown a relief from the horrors of life at M.U. Shelby recounts those horrors in an escalating torrent of dark comedy. This goes way beyond a simple parody of commencement speeches and launches into a lunatic realm all its own.

  • Paul Donnelly: Aloha Apocalypse (Ten Minute Play)

    I was living on O'ahu in January of 2018 and remember well the terror and anxiety the nuclear alert caused. I can see how that fear would have prompted an extreme reaction for Ed, but one that would have enduring consequences for his post-false alarm life. This is certainly a credible and compelling portrait of two people dealing with terrifying and unexpected circumstances.

    I was living on O'ahu in January of 2018 and remember well the terror and anxiety the nuclear alert caused. I can see how that fear would have prompted an extreme reaction for Ed, but one that would have enduring consequences for his post-false alarm life. This is certainly a credible and compelling portrait of two people dealing with terrifying and unexpected circumstances.

  • Paul Donnelly: The Wedding Recessional I Imagine My Parents Had in 1971 (2 minutes)

    This is a compelling depiction of the start of a bad marriage. Man and Woman are both clear in their sadly divergent views of what this wedding means. So much that is so resonant is revealed in this short piece.

    This is a compelling depiction of the start of a bad marriage. Man and Woman are both clear in their sadly divergent views of what this wedding means. So much that is so resonant is revealed in this short piece.

  • Paul Donnelly: 997 Pieces

    This is a charming portrait of three senior citizens losing all sense of perspective over completing a jigsaw puzzle. Each is a distinct and well-drawn character and would offer the right sort of challenge to high school performers.

    This is a charming portrait of three senior citizens losing all sense of perspective over completing a jigsaw puzzle. Each is a distinct and well-drawn character and would offer the right sort of challenge to high school performers.

  • Paul Donnelly: Baby's First Existential Crisis

    Baby's First Existential Crisis is a hoot and a half. The parents' dilemma is so relatable and the baby's inner monologue is hysterical. This would be a delight to see staged.

    Baby's First Existential Crisis is a hoot and a half. The parents' dilemma is so relatable and the baby's inner monologue is hysterical. This would be a delight to see staged.

  • Paul Donnelly: Art Duty

    A dark and wry meditation on the role of Art and the struggle to survive in a totalitarian dystopia. For all the darkness, and there is some dark stuff in Art Duty, the wit of this work is striking, What this melding of darkness and humor leads to is a fascinating conceit brilliantly realized.

    A dark and wry meditation on the role of Art and the struggle to survive in a totalitarian dystopia. For all the darkness, and there is some dark stuff in Art Duty, the wit of this work is striking, What this melding of darkness and humor leads to is a fascinating conceit brilliantly realized.

  • Paul Donnelly: PTC (Parent-Teacher Conference)

    Ghosts from the past pop up in the strangest places, few more disconcerting than your child's kindergarten classroom. The shock of seeing Jack again forces Dennis to confront, and ultimately allows him to let go of, wounds from his past. The novel setting is used most effectively.

    Ghosts from the past pop up in the strangest places, few more disconcerting than your child's kindergarten classroom. The shock of seeing Jack again forces Dennis to confront, and ultimately allows him to let go of, wounds from his past. The novel setting is used most effectively.

  • Paul Donnelly: THE CROSSWORD PLAY (or Ezmeranda's Gift)

    The fascinating art of constructing a crossword puzzle Is layered over with an absorbing personal narrative to give this piece both momentum and humor that builds to pathos. As the Puzzlemaker rethinks and revises entries the audience is forced to rethink the emotional cues that have been laid out before. This is a brilliantly structured and deeply compelling tour de force for a solo performer.

    The fascinating art of constructing a crossword puzzle Is layered over with an absorbing personal narrative to give this piece both momentum and humor that builds to pathos. As the Puzzlemaker rethinks and revises entries the audience is forced to rethink the emotional cues that have been laid out before. This is a brilliantly structured and deeply compelling tour de force for a solo performer.

  • Paul Donnelly: Stephanie. From the Posters.

    Parenting is tough under the best of circumstances, but it becomes almost impossible with a history as complex as Paul and Stephanie's. The conversation between these two very different fathers unfolds naturally as does the rising tension between them. That tension collapses quite movingly with Paul's reveal. This play offers a thorough and gripping exploration of the struggle one father faces.

    Parenting is tough under the best of circumstances, but it becomes almost impossible with a history as complex as Paul and Stephanie's. The conversation between these two very different fathers unfolds naturally as does the rising tension between them. That tension collapses quite movingly with Paul's reveal. This play offers a thorough and gripping exploration of the struggle one father faces.

  • Paul Donnelly: She Sells Sea-Shells

    A fantastical play about the power of memory and how that power can also become a prison. There is magic and lyricism throughout leading to a most magical but also most ambivalent ending. This is a work of real charm and imagination.

    A fantastical play about the power of memory and how that power can also become a prison. There is magic and lyricism throughout leading to a most magical but also most ambivalent ending. This is a work of real charm and imagination.