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Dave Osmundsen

Recommended by Dave Osmundsen

  • Drive by Deborah Yarchun
    12 Feb. 2023
    “ Yarchun gives us a world transitioning into automatic trucking—what might life, both on the road and at home, look like if there are no humans behind the wheel? She populates this world with a cast of vibrant, complex characters whose hopes and heartbreaks feel palpable to the audience. Each of these characters wants to move forward, but doesn’t know how. And how can they, if the world they’ve been preparing for can change on a dime? With sharp, engaging, and layered dialogue, “Drive” is a glorious and devastating treat for actors and audiences. Excellent play! ”
  • You Have Earned Bonus Stars by Vince Gatton
    5 Feb. 2023
    “ "Razor-sharp" feels insufficient to describe this darkly hysterical satire. From the shocking opening moments, this play establishes a VERY specific tone, and miraculously maintains it throughout this delectably wild road-trip of a play. The story takes the concept of "Do we REALLY know who are co-workers are?" and turns it on its head, slaps it on its side, and rotates it around and around, remaining thrilling, unpredictable, and devilishly entertaining. Gatton has written some KILLER monologues in here, as well as juicy roles that allow actors to be broadly comedic and incredibly vulnerable. Brilliant work! ”
  • Blanche & Stella: A Sequela by A.A. Brenner
    1 Jan. 2023
    “ A thoroughly entertaining and devastating play that works on multiple levels. There is much overlap and conversing with Tennessee Williams’ seminal classic. However, A.A. Brenner has created unique, compelling characters here that stand on their own apart from “Streetcar.” More importantly, this play explores with keen insight the impacts of visible and invisibility on our lives without the characters being solely defined by their disability—they are rich, flawed, and complex human beings with the desire to be seen for who they are. The beauty of this play is that it gives them that space. ”
  • Saturday Mourning Cartoons by Iraisa Ann Reilly
    23 Aug. 2022
    “ With shades of "Ordinary People" and "Rabbit Hole," "Saturday Mourning Cartoons" is a sly, yet tender exploration of grief, loss, and family. I've never heard the loss of faith as articulately or poetically described as I have here. This play also begs the question: When we experience a tremendous loss, how do we trust ourselves (or those still with us) to pick up the pieces? Even at their ugliest moments, I loved spending time with Reilly's characters, and wanted to see them through to the end of their healing journey. A gorgeous play that I can't wait to see! ”
  • Sisters by Matthew Libby
    30 Jul. 2022
    “ Matthew Libby continues his exploration of the intersection of technology and humanity. Here, he gives us two sisters—one human, one a computer—and explores their complex and fascinating relationship over 90 years. Greta’s desire to be a human is heart wrenching, Matilda’s complex feelings about her sister, and the grief they both feel over the loss of their parents are explored with Libby’s trademark wit, incision, and compassion. Theatrically innovative, this play also manages to flesh out a full character without them stepping onstage. I look forward to seeing where this play goes! ”
  • Cinnamon Raisin by Amy Dellagiarino
    30 Jul. 2022
    “ Two people who are stuck in life have a chance encounter in the woods. Over the course of this lovey twenty-minute play, Nell and Luke attempt to recapture a time in their lives when they were happier, freer, and didn’t have as much to worry about—something a lot of us are feeling right now! A touching play that comes to a lovely conclusion as these two characters are about to forge a new path together. ”
  • An Arctic Confederate Christmas by Michael C. O'Day
    24 Jun. 2022
    “ We’ve seen many post-apocalyptic plays. But not many set specifically at Christmas! Michael C. O’Day constructs a vividly austere and Orwellian world with its own carefully crafted mythology. This play is a masterclass in developing suspense. I can’t think of many other plays that have kept my on tenterhooks over such an extended period of time. Beyond the intriguing setting and dynamic characters, this is a play about how the stories we tell and are told can hurt and heal us. Fantastic work! ”
  • INFERNA by Joanna Castle Miller
    18 Jun. 2022
    “ A powerful, nuanced, and captivating piece that explores the harmful messages we get from the religion we’re raised with and the art we consume. Miller’s examination of problematic portrayals of women in Golden Age musicals is potent, but it’s her confession on partaking in a cover-up of a sexual assault that is especially harrowing. This is one of the bravest confessional plays I’ve ever read, and it’s the kind of work we need in the American theatre right now. Bravo! ”
  • If nobody does remarkable things by Emma Gibson
    17 Jun. 2022
    “ Wow! Complex questions about love vs. duty, the cost of activism, and our responsibility to our planet and to each other are woven through this compelling and haunting family drama. The playwright also builds a vivid world where the environment is on the brink. I look forward to this play’s future. Fantastic work! ”
  • The Macbethest Christmas Pageant Spectaculathon...Ever! by John Perovich
    16 Jun. 2022
    “ Diabolical elves, an evil overlord named Santa Claus, a wine-drunk Mrs. Claus, and of course Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. This raucous and raunchy mashup of Macbeth and Santa Claus is delightfully gruesome, demented, and hilarious. Perfect for college and student groups looking for something quite different for their holiday slot. ”

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