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Rachael Carnes

Recommended by Rachael Carnes

  • Accommodations by Donna Hoke
    16 Feb. 2018
    “ I had the opportunity to read this play aloud in a workshop setting and I'm struck by how natural the language feels, how richly detailed and deep the characterizations are, and what strong themes Hoke develops, in just a few pages. The premise will feel familiar to anyone with children or teens involved in any competitive activity — Hoke takes on big tropes and doesn't shy away from big questions. This one-act would be a dynamic piece for any creative team to explore, overhanging with possibility and nuance. Hoke has the chops to write characters who seem so very real. ”
  • TATTOO: A Tale of Terror by Greg Burdick
    15 Feb. 2018
    “ I recently had the pleasure of reading this creepy-as-hell play aloud in a writer's workshop. Burdick sets up such great inventory here, pacing the language to up the tension with every step. I love how literary it feels, on balance with chilling detail. Would be a delightful experience in a theater, radio show or podcast. ”
  • Magellanica by E. M. Lewis
    12 Feb. 2018
    “ I had the extraordinary opportunity to attend the world premier of this play at Artists Rep in Portland, OR. Lewis has created a prescient and revealing work, one that explores the very nature of what it means to be human on the edge of — A place of deep discovery and disconnect, of sheltering and isolation. Set in the mid-1980's, at a moment when it's revealed that we are entering a new era where we humans are changing the earth's atmosphere, what? When? How will change happen? This work is of and by and for our time. It is genius. ”
  • DINO KID: A MONOLOGUE WITH T-REX, STEGOSAURUS, BRONTOSAURUS, TRICERATOPS AND A FEW OTHER DINOSAURS by Asher Wyndham
    10 Feb. 2018
    “ Asher Wyndham has such a clear voice through his collection of monologues and this one is no exception. A beautiful, warm, funny and heartbreaking window into bullying and its impact on a believable, articulate child. There is such a paucity of contemporary work for children — And this relatable, timely new monologue fills that niche. It would be a wonderful audition piece for any young actor, or a powerful accompaniment to a performance of short works. ”
  • High School Nachos by Matthew Weaver
    9 Feb. 2018
    “ Funny and smart, Weaver's plays move with an enviable bounce and verve. His natural, human dialogue is matched by surprising revelations that keep us guessing. This winning combination - a kind of believable suspension of disbelief - makes the words on the page as tasty as cheeto flavored Doritos. You read one Matthew Weaver play, and you're going to want to read another! ”
  • How to Use a Knife by Will Snider
    7 Feb. 2018
    “ I've been hearing great things about this play and recently got my hands on it to read for a local theater. Wow! Crackling dialogue flashes with white heat in every single scene. You can almost smell the steamy kitchen, hear the sizzle and see the global connections and ramifications materialize as this rich play unfolds. Snider's enviable mastery of humor is matched with his fearless thematic development. I would love, love, LOVE to see this in production. And I'm going to tell the local producers just that. :) ”
  • The Great Porn Caper by Bryan Stubbles
    5 Feb. 2018
    “ One of the only things that gives me any solace about this smoldering dumpster fire moment we live in, is how artists are responding with teeth and claws and wicked humor to the insanity of it all. And In this hilariously irreverent romp, Bryan Stubbles delights in taking the piss out of '45'. They say the pen is mightier than the sword (maybe it should be updated to 'pixels'?) and here Stubbles's shows his rank among some top-drawer satirists. Leading character Temple — A lonely Utah teen — wins you over instantly. #TeamTemple #TeamStubbles #TakeThat45 ”
  • THE CUPCAKE CONSPIRACY: "Cupcakes are Easy. Marriage is Complicated" by CJ Ehrlich
    4 Feb. 2018
    “ A sheer delight! This zany play delivers laughs on every page and if you happen to be a current or ex-New Yorker, it will feel even more familiar: It's like this kooky brand of cupcake espionage the writers have invented *must* be happening just below the surface of that city all the time! Ehrlich (and co-writer Philip J. Kaplan) pinball their characters around with punchy dialogue and inventive scene work, plumbing the depths of farcical possibilities. My only question is: What happens next?? ”
  • Tinder... Sucka by Inda Craig-Galván
    3 Feb. 2018
    “ You know you're in for a treat when even the landing page of a play makes you chuckle. I love how writer Craig-Galván takes us on a wild ride through multiple tropes that would be SO FUN to stage. Her dialogue just percolates with energy in this fresh, appealing comedy. Oh man, someone please produce this work! ”
  • The Last Cheesesteak by Bryan Stubbles
    2 Feb. 2018
    “ I'm loving a play for two women where they both talk like sailors on shore leave. Lively and profane, with a great set-up, fun structure and dialogue. ”

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