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Tom Rowan

Recommended by Tom Rowan

  • The House on Haunted Hill by Tommy Jamerson
    9 Apr. 2024
    “ Jamerson takes on many of the creaky tropes of murder mysteries and horror movies and rejuvenates them with period-perfect 1950’s-style dialogue, sly wit, and even a dash of Me-Too-era female empowerment. The large cast of characters gives every actor his or her big moment, and the play is also an invitation to inventive directors and designers to let their imaginations soar in creating high or low-tech special effects and shockers. Everyone in the audience, onstage, and behind the scenes will have a rollicking good time with this one. ”
  • Canterbury Sextet by Larry Rinkel
    5 Apr. 2024
    “ Rinkel had done a clever job of finding clever contemporary parallels to Chaucer’s characters and situations, while his poetry retains some of the old-fashioned charm of the originals. The rhymes are often surprising and ingenious, and the meter pulses with a playful theatrical energy. The comic pacing is assured, and though the language is even raunchier and more scatological than Chaucer’s, the sophistication and playful wit of the verse keeps it from being offensive. This play provides a fantastic opportunity for a director and cast with a relish for physical comedy to let their imaginations run wild. ”
  • INTENTIONS by Ellen Abrams
    22 Dec. 2023
    “ This well-written piece is an incisive character study. Abrams’s witty, well-observed dialogue keeps the comedic energy high even as the dysfunctional character relationships and twisted manipulations gradually reveal the sad desperation behind Lorraine’s kooky charm. Along the way we get provocative insights into the complexity of the love/hate relationships in families, the frustration of thwarted creative urges, and the many ways people find to avoid facing the reality of who they are. Lorraine/Lorelei is a tour de force role for an actress with emotional depth and crack comic timing. ”
  • SYD (Next Stage Press) by Craig Houk
    17 Dec. 2023
    “ Set in a conservative Christian Louisiana community in the early 1970s, this play gives us two families dealing, in very different ways, with crises involving a gay son and a lesbian daughter. Houk evokes the specific world of the play through canny selection of revealing details. He expertly renders the regional dialect while giving each character a believable individual voice within it. Family tensions and affections feel complex and real. Some of the characters make disturbing choices, while others rise to the challenges with unexpected grace, and it’s all written with compassion and insight. Worthwhile and stageworthy! ”
  • Ghost Light by John Medlin
    10 Dec. 2023
    “ When three estranged siblings reunite in the house they grew up in for the funeral of their abusive, alcoholic father, they start seeing and hearing spooky things. Is Pa’s ghost reaching out from the beyond to do more damage, or are his victims simply haunted by years of trauma and guilt? With vivid dialogue and sharply drawn characters, this distinctive and original piece uses the traditional trappings of a ghost story to get at something deeper and more real, eventually offering hope for how a broken family might finally begin to heal. ”
  • Maui Wowee! by Gene Kato
    3 Sep. 2023
    “ With its abundance of sharp one-liners and double entendres, this script is in the fine tradition of Neil Simon’s “suite” plays: a reminder of how easily the cracks in relationships can be exacerbated by what was meant to be a relaxing vacation. Comedically awkward situations and eccentric characters guarantee laughs, but the writer also surprises by digging a bit deeper and providing something more thoughtful than the anticipated Hollywood ending. Two very rewarding roles for older actresses should make this an especially appealing choice for local theatre groups. ”
  • WAKE by Vince Gatton
    31 Aug. 2023
    “ Complex relationships, vividly disturbing stories, and creepily convincing intimations of the supernatural come together in this expertly-written piece that keeps the audience guessing about what might really be going on. Gatton’s sharp ear for dialogue captures each character’s individual voice, and the well-observed domestic scenes feel personal and lived-in. But the play has larger resonances too: its scope expands almost imperceptibly as it examines and questions the bitter losses and hard-earned triumphs of the past several decades of American gay history. And it’s chock-full of fantastic audition monologues! ”
  • Fable by Doug DeVita
    9 Aug. 2023
    “ It takes confidence to write dialogue for iconic figures from theatre history like Merman, Robbins, and Laurents; DeVita pulls it off with grace and an insider's savvy. The achievement here is that he corrects some of the musical's misrepresentations of Havoc's story while still celebrating its legendary power. All done with great ingenuity and economy; a cast of just seven manages to evoke the bustle and grandeur of 1959 Broadway. ”
  • At Whose Expense by Kirt Shineman
    6 Mar. 2023
    “ This play boldly tackles a very timely issue: the racial tensions and free-speech controversies currently rocking the academic community. Shineman doesn't condescend to any of the characters and gives all of the contentious parties space to express their points of view. Ms. Schultz's decision provides a ray of hope--right before the play hits us with an effectively ominous coda. This is a risky, provocative piece. ”
  • Cabana Boy by Philip Middleton Williams
    3 Mar. 2023
    “ Another thoughtful, atmospheric piece by Mr. Williams. The characters seem close to stereotypes at first but then surprise us more than once by being more complex and better people than we expect. There's some nice, effortless humor woven into the very natural dialogue, and the play is very sexy without being obvious or vulgar. It's all done with compassion and understated charm. ”

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