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Nick Malakhow

Recommended by Nick Malakhow

  • Grindrd by J. Joseph Cox
    24 Oct. 2019
    “ Super hilarious, cringey, and poignant all at once! Cox skillfully packs some potent revelations and character shifts into a mere 10 minutes and captures something about the intriguing minefield that is coming of age and entering the adult dating world as a queer teen. ”
  • Composure by Scott Sickles
    23 Oct. 2019
    “ What a beautiful, intimate story. In focusing on just a few compelling characters connected to one another like an intriguing Venn diagram, Sickles tackles themes of grief, moving past trauma, and what traps us in and liberates us from unhealthy relationships. "Composure" is funny, poignant, and human--a slice of life story removed from the solely heteronormative world! I'd love to see this staged. ”
  • Barceló On The Rocks by Marco Antonio Rodriguez
    22 Oct. 2019
    “ A beautiful play that wanders between the present and past. A piece rooted in effectively told history, "Barcelo..." also proves itself to be a compelling family drama that illustrates the intersecting lines between personal and political. Nino and his sons' fractured relationship is plausible and heartbreaking as we see Nino's history come to life, and the way they find themselves brought together in the end is poignant and well earned. Glad to see that this has been produced, and I hope to see a production some day! ”
  • Bloom by Marco Antonio Rodriguez
    21 Oct. 2019
    “ A beautifully rendered, spare apocalyptic-yet-eerily-familiar world is captured wonderfully here in this tightly focused piece. This reads both like a cautionary parable and a tense two-hander. Rote and Julia are compelling characters individually, and their interactions are very human and darkly comic. I'm so very impressed by how a play with such a limited focus can be evocative of a hypothetical (and plausible) future. I'd love to see this staged! ”
  • Viewing by Robin Rodriguez
    21 Oct. 2019
    “ A beautiful, poignantly told, small story that is grounded in a very specifically rendered time and place. "Viewing" grapples with identity, feeling trapped, and forging one's own path
    Rodriguez infuses each character with a nuanced dose of humanity, and makes clear each character's desires and need to look for approval from others and, ultimately, acceptance of themselves. I'd love to see this produced and on its feet! ”
  • #GodHatesYou by Emily Dendinger
    20 Oct. 2019
    “ Dendinger finds humanity in each of the very flawed characters in this important and bold piece. Laurel's evolution as a character feels organic and plausible, while her fellow congregation members are rendered with a nuanced touch and in a way that helps get to the root of the misguided ways they act upon their beliefs. #GodHatesYou also moves briskly and with a good dose of situation humor to help lighten (and enlighten) some of the darker moments and character motivations throughout. Hope to see this produced far and wide soon! ”
  • Greyhounds by Daryl Lisa Fazio
    17 Oct. 2019
    “ A taut and well-observed two person piece. In a succinct few scenes, Toby and Mercy emerge as fascinating characters whose parallels bring the unlikely pair together in an organic and satisfying arc. This is also my favorite genre--an excellent, intimate drama with a sense of humor to balance out the pathos and drama. I'd love to see this onstage! ”
  • Abortion Road Trip by Rachel Lynett
    15 Oct. 2019
    “ Truly an awesome play--Lynett crafts several very compelling characters and places them in a potent and plausible situation. I love the way in which information is slowly revealed about various characters throughout (even to those related by blood and supposedly the closest!) through organic conversation and well used flashback and aside scenes. One of the play's biggest strengths is its totally human and humorous approach to big ideas and issues--it makes a political statement (several even) with a small and fairly self contained story. I would love to see this produced all over the country soon! ”
  • Alabaster by Audrey Cefaly
    13 Oct. 2019
    “ Beautiful piece with an evocative sense of place and extremely compelling characters. A funny, human, and poignantly wrenching story of healing from trauma and individual paths and roads to discovery. I truly hope I get to see this onstage soon! ”
  • Tar and Feather by Kristin Idaszak
    11 Oct. 2019
    “ A briskly moving and sharply satiric exploration of call out culture, the roots and evolution of public shaming, and the gears that turn in the minds of trolls. Idaszak has crafted very compelling and complex characters. How the story progresses is equally surprising as it is inevitable. I also love the way the piece demands creative staging and careful consideration of the role of the audience in a way that mirrors the very culture it is interrogating. Hilarious, dark, and exciting--I'd hope to see this of the moment play onstage soon! ”

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