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Francesca Pazniokas

Recommended by Francesca Pazniokas

  • I Am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by Paul Vintner
    5 Sep. 2020
    “ A darkly funny, devilishly charming play. I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE is a thoroughly enjoyable horror romp that also dives into an important exploration of society’s glorification of violence and fear of sexuality. Cleverly mixes spectacular visual elements with witty naturalistic dialogue, and features characters that actors will love sinking their teeth into. ”
  • Pieces of Penelope by Gina Femia
    4 Aug. 2020
    “ A gorgeous piece about longing, grief, passion and patience, knitting back and forth across millennia. Poetic and piercing. ”
  • Cercle Hermaphroditos by Shualee Cook
    24 May. 2020
    “ A few hours after reading Cook's play, I found myself missing her witty, charming, courageous characters as if they were dear friends. A true gem of a play. It should be widely produced, but until that happens (and I believe it will happen!) it's such a joy to read. ”
  • Ashiari Yashiki by Sean Pollock
    23 May. 2020
    “ Deeply bonkers, in the best way. Absurd, hilarious, and relatable for anyone living in a capitalist society in the 21st century. I'd love to see this produced. ”
  • Black Hollow by Aeneas Sagar Hemphill
    11 Mar. 2019
    “ "There’s no word in the English language...for a mother who has lost her child."

    "Black Hollow" is a play that grows more relevant by the day. A lesser playwright attempting to write about gun violence might become mired in melodrama. But Hemphill deftly avoids that trap, confidently weaving together the stories of these small town Americans by focusing on their shared humanity, rather than sensationalized trauma. What remains is a restrained, finely-crafted story about resilience and self-reflection in the face of tragedy. ”
  • Infallibility by Matt Barbot
    11 Mar. 2019
    “ A commedia dell'arte masterclass for the modern world. "Infallibility" is a tour-de-force two-hander with a meta-theatrical twist. It may be set during the first millennium, but Barbot finds universal truths that resonate today. Heart-achingly human. This play has stuck with me. One of those plays that makes you wish you were an actor, just so you could perform in it. ”
  • The Snakes Before Square One by Paul Vintner
    22 Dec. 2018
    “ This is one of my new favorite plays. Vintner mixes the richness of fable with the cold reality of modern life to create a piece that's both timely and timeless. I already want to read it again, and I've already read it twice! ”
  • Speak of the Devil! by Paul Vintner
    2 Oct. 2018
    “ It's rare to see a large ensemble cast used so deftly in a one-act play -- and rarer still to see a sci-fi farce! Vintner's comedies are as sharp and zany as the best screwball comedies of the 1930s, but with a modern bite. In "Speak of the Devil!" he grounds the gleeful, mounting absurdity of the plot with salt-of-the-earth characters, keeping us engaged in every surrealist twist. Eminently producible for theaters with the biggest to the smallest budgets. ”
  • Swallowed by Rachel Bublitz
    9 May. 2018
    “ Highest stakes I've ever encountered in a short play. Hits you from the first lines like a gale-force wind and doesn't let up. Bublitz shows us a desperate sacrifice that is terrifying and heartbreaking, but also beautiful in its purity. I'd love to see this staged. ”
  • Man Boobs by C. Julian Jiménez
    13 Apr. 2018
    “ Entertaining and deeply affecting. Frankly, I shouldn’t have read this in public. First, I was struggling to contain my laughter...and then I was hit by a semi-truck of emotions, reexamining my own relationship to myself. “Man Boobs” is hilarious, heart-breaking and deeply human. And like the best theatrical experiences, it made me feel like I’ve changed as a person from the first moment to the last. Can't recommend it enough. ”

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