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Nick Malakhow

Recommended by Nick Malakhow

  • Buried Roots by Michelle Tyrene Johnson
    23 Feb. 2020
    “ What a fantastic, compelling read! Jaime is an exquisitely rendered imperfect protagonist whose motivations are crystal clear. I loved the parallelism between her and Theo, as well as the potent conflict between Jaime and Belynda. The way the scenes transitioned into one another kept the play moving at a brisk pace, and threaded throughout were subtle world-building details that painted an interesting portrait of a hypothetical near future without intruding on the character-driven storytelling. In focusing on unique and specific character interactions, Johnson manages to explore themes of family, loss, and the loaded dynamics of race and ancestry. ”
  • how it feels to fall from the sky by Dominic Finocchiaro
    22 Feb. 2020
    “ This gorgeous piece mines the lives of five unique and distinct characters for a universal and powerful exploration of grief, loneliness, alienation, and the blessing of finding connection in the oddest of circumstances. Each character is vividly realized throughout the poetic yet naturalistic scenes. Finocchiaro has crafted a play whose character-driven potency would be crystal clear with bare bones production needs. The funny, heartening, and at times heartbreaking interactions between and personal moments of these humans are exquisitely chosen and impeccably paced. I would be eager to experience this sweet and melancholy play on its feet. ”
  • Stars and Crescent by Maximillian Gill
    22 Feb. 2020
    “ Gill creates a well-drawn speculative universe using a few strategically chosen individuals. In flipping the script, he illustrates the apparent universal human tendency to jockey for and attempt to maintain power through dividing and disadvantaging certain groups. He also successfully comments on Euro/American imperialism by allowing his audience/reader to stew in the cognitive dissonance and absurdity of a world not dominated by white colonial power. Gill goes beyond making this switcheroo a mere gimmick, especially in the end where he proposes, through his characters, what a way forward from the cycle of fighting and tribalism might look like. ”
  • Never Not Once by Carey Crim
    21 Feb. 2020
    “ What a compelling, fast, and affecting read. The initial setup provides us with characters that have potent desires and obstacles, and the plot unfolds with a hefty dose of subtle but powerful surprises. At the end of an emotionally wrenching final scene, the play ends on an ambiguous, unresolved note that is not unsatisfying--on the contrary it serves to underscore and solidify the strength and hope of the three central women. I would love to see this producible and important play have a long life! How awesome that it is having a run of productions recently. ”
  • The Book of Mountains and Seas by Yilong Liu
    20 Feb. 2020
    “ A gorgeous, humorous, and highly theatrical play about grief. Raymond and Andrew are the unlikeliest of friends who clearly need what one another has to offer to come to terms with the loss of their shared loved one. Liu tackles universal sentiments about grief while also telling a very specific and layered story that shows how intersecting identities and clashing cultures and cultural values inform one's processing of personal events. Liu also manages to establish a strong grounding of place in New York without the contrived feel of some plays set in that notable global metropolis. Produce it soon/often! ”
  • i by Jeff Talbott
    20 Feb. 2020
    “ Whew! This is a beautiful and melancholic heartbreaker of a play with a strong undercurrent of humanity, a good sense of humor, and a subtly woven sci-fi bent. "i" is a unique extended metaphor for grief, depression, and the lengths we go to heal ourselves after traumatic events. It poses the excellent question--what is the cost living with your grief rather than relegating it to a compartment you never open? Talbott offers no easy answers to Sarah's plight. Sudden revelations at the end are effectively potent, and the play's conclusion is both somber and hopeful. A lovely piece! ”
  • The Foreplay Play by Jack MacCarthy
    19 Feb. 2020
    “ I truly enjoyed this surprising and human exploration of polyamory. The characters' intersecting relationships with one another and evolving attitudes felt genuine and made for engaging storytelling. Each character was also well-defined and spoke with a distinct voice. MacCarthy explores some sticky truths about connection and relationships that fall outside what is considered the norm with some poignant moments interspersed throughout what is a largely humorous and briskly-moving script. This is definitely a great piece for four actors to really dig their teeth into. ”
  • Marge by Chase Yenser
    19 Feb. 2020
    “ Marge is a vividly-realized, dynamic character who serves as a strong nucleus around which the other characters orbit. The supporting folks are boldly drawn individuals as well whose evolving relationship to Marge's substance abuse issues keep the play moving at a steady and always engaging pace, while also providing for some genuinely surprising turns. I appreciated the clear sense of place Yenser evokes and the visceral, gross-yet-compelling images that he utilizes to flesh out Marge's conflicts and relationships. MARGE defies genre boundaries as well--dark comedy mixes with gritty intervention tale which mixes with revenge story--in a unique manner. ”
  • Gold Person by Dominic Finocchiaro
    18 Feb. 2020
    “ This is a searing but altogether fair exploration of fame, celebrity worship, and reality tv culture. Bobby is a compelling, flawed, and sympathetic central character. As he struggles to find meaning in his life and a world that consumes and discards idealized fantasies of people on the daily, we see him make some poignant and sad revelations about his fate. He is flanked by a collage of bold characters that leave an impact, even if they only show up for a few scenes. As with his other pieces, Finocchiaro eschews sentiment while still mining Bobby's story for moving pathos. ”
  • American Divide by Maximillian Gill
    17 Feb. 2020
    “ What a tightly-written, tense, powder keg of a play Gill has written here! American Divide truly offers us no clear heroes or villains--just desperate people all with credible and potent motivations and baggage. What is perhaps most impressive about this piece is Gill's world building. He has translated the hatred, fear, and divisiveness of our current socio political environment into a terrifying plausible dystopia whose rules and issues are well fleshed out in the words of these well-chosen characters. I especially appreciated the eye towards intersectional complexity in each of their stories. A powerful, of-the-moment piece! ”

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