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Dave Osmundsen

Recommended by Dave Osmundsen

  • I Saw Jesus in Toa Baja by Nelson Diaz-Marcano
    22 Feb. 2019
    “ An epic and intimate play that explores gender identity, faith, and how we deal with a world in pain and destruction. Diaz-Marcano's writing is beautifully poetic and economic, and he gives the director a lot of opportunities for creative staging. The message of the play is important, to: That we may want an entity to ease our burdens, but ultimately we are enough. Gorgeous play. ”
  • The Hub by Allyson Dwyer
    28 Jan. 2019
    “ This is a fantastic play that explores the early days of the internet. Dwyer writes her characters with such depth that you can't help but be engaged by all of them, even the ones who aren't as savory. On a deeper level, this horrifying, hilarious, poignant, and intimate play is about people on the edge of something. The play takes place in 2000, when Y2K paranoia was overtaking the world, but it's also about people on the edge of something that will soon become a dominant cultural force. Highly recommended! ”
  • Ex Machina by David Jacobi
    22 Nov. 2018
    “ A bleak, nightmarish depiction of a capitalist America. Jacobi writes sharp, incisive dialogue and characters that do their best to make the most out of a terrible situation. What's compelling in this play is the conflict between people who want to get out of their situations and improve their lives and the ones who are so used to things that they've convinced themselves they cannot. While the world this play depicts is one of despair, it ends with a glimmer of hope. Check it out! ”
  • The Cages We Build by Emily Hageman
    22 Nov. 2018
    “ This play aims right for your heart and hits it with a bulls-eye. From the heart-wrenching opening to the shattering climax, this is a play that moves rapidly through the life of a seriously troubled teen. However, the drama manages to not feel cliched or like an after school special because Hageman knows her characters on a deep, personal level, and is not afraid to show them at their worst. The play's message seems to be that there are no easy answers in life, and all we can do is our best. Bravo, bravo, bravo! ”
  • Long Way Down by Nate Eppler
    22 Nov. 2018
    “ A compelling slow-burn that steadily builds to a harrowing climax that pays off brilliantly. It slowly draws you in and then, before you know it, has grabbed you so hard that you can't stop reading. The dialogue is spot-on and the characters are completely engaging, especially Karen, who is one of the most frightening depictions of a pro-lifer that I've read in a long time. Not for the faint of heart, but highly recommended nonetheless! ”
  • Black Super Hero Magic Mama by Inda Craig-Galván
    20 Nov. 2018
    “ A very unique, deeply personal examination of one mother's grief in the midst of unspeakable tragedy. Powerful message of learning to confront our grief, even in the face of injustice. Quick, but powerful read. Check it out! ”
  • Balls by Emily Hageman
    16 Nov. 2018
    “ With "Balls," Hageman manages to expose numerous facets of how poorly women are treating in modern-day society using startling wit and economy (only four pages!). The metaphor she uses with the tape is brilliant, and pays off extraordinarily. Check this play out! ”
  • Old Girl by John Adams
    9 Oct. 2018
    “ Even as someone who is not much of an animal person, this play made me bawl when I saw it at the Midwest Dramatists Conference last year. Adams has crafted a gorgeous, simple, quiet, yet heartbreaking story about where we go after we die, and whom we meet upon our arrival in the next world. Delicately plotted and tightly structured, "Old Girl" subverts expectations and shatters your heart with the force of a grenade. Read this play. ”
  • Tattooed Quilt by Jessie Salsbury
    30 Sep. 2018
    “ A brief, yet powerfully unsentimental short play that asks whether the sins of the past can really be covered up, literally and figuratively. Salisbury is uncompromising in her approach to this question while giving equal voice to two opposite ends of a racial, social, and economic divide. It also speculates a future that has shifted power dynamics, but refuses to forget the devastation of past bigotry. Well done! ”
  • (a love story) by Kelly Lusk
    8 Sep. 2018
    “ I was fortunate enough to see this play read at the Kennedy Center. Creative, passionate, engaging, devastating, and beautiful exploration of love and violence. You can’t help but get swept up in the fantastical world of these characters and their stories. I hope to see this play onstage one day soon. ”

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