Recommended by Enid Brain

  • Enid Brain: SETTLEMENTS by Seth Rozin
    “

    I'm not sure when I last read a play that felt as truly and deeply brave as "Settlements." This play is one the fiercest critiques I've ever read of how art is forced to bend to the politics of those who fund it. I was shocked and impressed with every page at how radical Rozin is willing to be in his exploration of how plays live and die in the American theatre when they are about things that some don't want to talk about. Reading this play for the first time felt like a revelation.

    I'm not sure when I last read a play that felt as truly and deeply brave as "Settlements." This play is one the fiercest critiques I've ever read of how art is forced to bend to the politics of those who fund it. I was shocked and impressed with every page at how radical Rozin is willing to be in his exploration of how plays live and die in the American theatre when they are about things that some don't want to talk about. Reading this play for the first time felt like a revelation.

    ”
  • Enid Brain: A Moving Picture by Jennie Berman Eng
    “

    A fierce, violent, funny, sad, and thought-provoking new work. The shape of this play is really fascinating and I want to spend a lot of time with it, breaking it apart and seeing how the form of the play supports and subverts the content of it. A fascinating new take on the 'issue play' that challenges the whole notion of the genre. The constant re-living of societal trauma through art is put on trial here and the playwright doesn't allow us to have an easy way out. A true achievement.

    A fierce, violent, funny, sad, and thought-provoking new work. The shape of this play is really fascinating and I want to spend a lot of time with it, breaking it apart and seeing how the form of the play supports and subverts the content of it. A fascinating new take on the 'issue play' that challenges the whole notion of the genre. The constant re-living of societal trauma through art is put on trial here and the playwright doesn't allow us to have an easy way out. A true achievement.

    ”
  • Enid Brain: Stacy & Mia by SMJ .
    “

    A moving and vibrant new work that shows how class and circumstance can ruin our personal relationships. The sort of new play we should be exploring in 2020

    A moving and vibrant new work that shows how class and circumstance can ruin our personal relationships. The sort of new play we should be exploring in 2020

    ”
  • Enid Brain: small town icons by SMJ .
    “

    I was lucky enough to read a draft of this play while it was still in development. SMJ has created here a powerful and contemporary piece of theatre. In typical form, SMJ challenges every theatrical convention (including play formatting) and comes away with a piece of anti-poetry--beautiful in its rage, touching in its perversion, and deeply personal and human. This play should be given a production as soon as possible and whoever is lucky enough to snag the premiere right might very well be able to say that they got in on the ground floor of the next contemporary hit.

    I was lucky enough to read a draft of this play while it was still in development. SMJ has created here a powerful and contemporary piece of theatre. In typical form, SMJ challenges every theatrical convention (including play formatting) and comes away with a piece of anti-poetry--beautiful in its rage, touching in its perversion, and deeply personal and human. This play should be given a production as soon as possible and whoever is lucky enough to snag the premiere right might very well be able to say that they got in on the ground floor of the next contemporary hit.

    ”
  • Enid Brain: TEACH: ANOTHER MONOLOGUE THAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WRITE by Asher Wyndham
    “

    This play is beautiful. Nuanced, important, and well constructed. A great example of a one-person show.

    This play is beautiful. Nuanced, important, and well constructed. A great example of a one-person show.

    ”
  • Enid Brain: Ripe Frenzy by Jennifer Barclay
    “

    This play is brilliantly constructed with fascinating characters. Barclay layers on levels of tension in a masterful way with a climax that, even though you know it's coming, still hits hard and fast. This play is important, interesting, and painful. I was choking up just reading it and I do not have any children. This play should be performed often and well.

    This play is brilliantly constructed with fascinating characters. Barclay layers on levels of tension in a masterful way with a climax that, even though you know it's coming, still hits hard and fast. This play is important, interesting, and painful. I was choking up just reading it and I do not have any children. This play should be performed often and well.

    ”