Recommended by Straton Rushing

  • Secondhand Soul
    13 Nov. 2023
    This put a big smile on my face. A hilarious short with a touch of heartfelt truth. It would be an excellent inclusion in any festival, especially something Halloween-related.
  • One Month Along
    2 Nov. 2023
    A very poignant exploration of love, friendship, and parentage. The way Gonzalez uses time is truly unique and makes for a very unique experience. It could be an excellent fit at any theater!
  • what fits inside a human heart
    15 Oct. 2023
    I got the opportunity to see this play's premiere at Soul Rep in Dallas.

    "what fits inside a human heart" is a very unique play. The snappy, charming dialogue is reminiscent of a well-written sitcom at times. The love between these characters is warm and palpable, even as we watch them navigate the tricky processes of growing as young adults. And yet, many intimate moments in this play could only work on the stage. The play has a very unique structure that feels at once familiar, and wholly original. A lovely story about community, belonging and new beginnings.
  • Dolcevita OR The Clown Chorus of the Carnival del Dolcevita Proudly Presents the Sad Tale of the Turbinado Triplets
    19 Sep. 2023
    A great story is a great story. And ones like Dolcevita transcend time, place, and other restraints to show us humanity in its various forms. In this play, Oglesby builds a fascinating and rich world. It is rare to see a play that could easily see successful production at the youth, high school, college, community, or professional level - but this makes perfect sense anywhere. On top of that, it is written with the option to be produced as a promenade theatre piece but could be produced practically anywhere.

    A truly unique piece, in need of more productions.
  • Heart Stop or, The Obesity Play
    23 Aug. 2023
    If you're already a fan of Gonzalez's work, this piece is another "must-read". It is a deeply personal and difficult piece of theatre that feels alive and necessary in the way very few plays do. The moments of levity are hilarious, and the final section is downright unforgettable. I teared up reading it, and I imagine many other readers will too.
  • Every Living Thing
    26 Jul. 2023
    Perhaps it is a bit cliche to say well-written characters "feel like real people". But in the case of Hood's play, there really is not a more succinct way to describe this story's greatest strength. All three of these characters have fascinating layers that are slowly peeled back as the story progresses. This play asks hard questions of its audience about life, death, and the responsibility we have to one another.
  • Pyre
    25 Jul. 2023
    One of my favorite horror plays of all time. Historically intriguing, yet somehow relevant to the modern day. It is truly an edge-of-your-seat thriller. It could be an excellent find for any theatre looking to fill the Halloween slot with something unique.
  • Lobster Man (Full-length version)
    18 Jul. 2023
    Cook creates a wholly unique world that blends expressionism with the post-apocalyptic survival story. Within this place, he slowly unveils a deeply moving story about love, loss, and new beginnings.
  • Sitting Ducks on the Sitting Dock
    14 Jul. 2023
    "Sitting Ducks" is at once laugh out loud hilarious, and deeply impactful. It manages to meaningfully explore the struggles of the modern worker while allowing the audience the room to draw their own conclusions about the nature of this world they're seeing.

    The back-and-forth between Louis and Ricky adopts a deeply effective vaudevillian pitter-patter, which at times harkens to Godot, while still feeling wholly unique to this pair.

    Futrell's absurd post-capitalist tragicomedy absolutely needs subsequent productions. It is theatre doing what theatre does best.
  • Distance Blues
    14 Jul. 2023
    Futrell brings his signature absurdist style into a personal family drama that carries with it echoes of Shepard's "True West". I was lucky enough to see a developmental reading at Arizona State and it is rare to hear such audible reactions from an audience.

    The play is truly unlike anything else you'll find. Its blend of fantastical and deeply personal creates emotions that will stick with audiences well after they leave the theatre.

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