←

David Narter

Recommended by David Narter

  • Mouthpiece by Chris Vanderark
    10 Jul. 2019
    “ The pace of this suspenseful play performed in blistering two-person scenes absolutely mesmerized me (and everyone else) when I saw this performed in a reading. Each scene is an exploration of the abuses of power, and the snappy, menacing dialogue keep you entranced as the details of the story gradually unfold. Dark, horrifying and often funny, this is a powerful piece with little, to no, set requirements. ”
  • TREIF PLAY by Evalena Lakin
    10 Jul. 2019
    “ Two worlds collide in this endearing and entertaining play. Eva's servers will certainly be familiar to anyone who has ever worked at an upscale restaurant (all playwrights!) and she writes them with wit and real life. To this environment, she adds a fascinating outsider who makes it clear to us how ubiquitous and destructive abuses of power can be. This is an engrossing story with charming characters that is perfect for a single-set theatre. ”
  • The Gravediggers Union by Brian James Polak
    10 Jul. 2019
    “ Surprising play that somehow manages to place Chekhov's sisters seamlessly in a New Hampshire graveyard. The synopsis doesn't do justice to the complexity of this comedy that weaves existential dread and modern absurdity with themes and characters that we can recognize from the beginning of modernism. All of this seems heady stuff, but Polak's light, breezy style makes this, at its core, a wonderfully fun and entertaining play. ”
  • Ideal House (PERMANENT PRODUCTION HIATUS, for reference only) by Cara Beth Heath
    29 May. 2019
    “ A funny and moving play that combines Heath's shrewd critique of modern values and the pressure of traditional societal expectations about money, family and self with clever dialogue and - well, JK Rowling! This play, revolving around a strong, female protagonist, manages to be simultaneously delightful and poignant. ”
  • OUTLAWS by Cara Beth Heath
    27 Feb. 2019
    “ A terrifically entertaining and surprisingly topical story set during prohibition and centered around - get this! - a female, rural protagonist. I saw a staged reading of this play, and the sheer theatricality of this script had the audience enrapt in the time period and a story that shows us a side of prohibition most of us (certainly me) had never encountered. The plot is tightly structured and there are plenty of authentically funny moments from very real characters. This is a solid play. ”
  • Minutes and Seconds by Chris Vanderark
    28 Jan. 2019
    “ The show begins at the end of the world and, through many uncomfortable and often hilarious revelations, we see the lives of its characters - a weirdly familiar yet extraordinarily dysfunctional family - deconstructed. A smart and structurally fascinating play with conflict, humor and humanity. Spot-on clever dialogue and smart theatrical sensibilities make this a very producible play. ”
  • Fatberg by Darcy Sturges
    21 Jan. 2019
    “ A fun and original little piece that manages to take the weird phenomenon of fatbergs (look it up) and give them a resonance that, well, they would NEVER otherwise have. Clever dialogue and easy to stage. ”
  • Welcome to Keene, New Hampshire by Brian James Polak
    20 Jan. 2019
    “ It's hard to read (or, I imagine watch) this play without also hearing echos of Wilder's "Out Town" . That's clearly intentional, and the sharp contrast between his idyllic 1900's town and Polak's deftly drawn characters and anxious political atmosphere make this play particularly important for today's theatre. Fascinatingly, Polak manages to find humor and a subtle kind of optimism in his broken American town. An important show that I'd love to see on a college stage. ”
  • The Breaking (In Development) by Cara Beth Heath
    9 Jan. 2019
    “ Explosive play about power and the difficulty of sorting out truth, memory, and malice. The unusual setting (on a Coast Guard base) and the complex characters undoubtedly make this an engaging play to stage. And although the parallels to TITUS ANDRONICUS are compelling, the play works on many levels, one of which is as powerful story in its own right. This would be a strong play for theater companies with a focus on gender politics and contemporary issues. ”
  • Catherine Forever (the parasite) by Chris Vanderark
    12 Aug. 2018
    “ A funny, inventive, smart and charming play. The coolest aspect of this, for me, was being seduced by the jaunty and often ridiculous humor, much of it meta, some of it by a puppet, and finding in the end that it all served a terrifically smart purpose. ”