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Richard Thompson

Recommended by Richard Thompson

  • Andela by Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn
    3 Apr. 2022
    “ Reading a play that gets into religion gives me the willies, because all too often it turns into sacrilege. Jacquelyn Priskorn, however, is a very good writer who tells a story of faith where what medical science says is impossible is in fact possible, and an angel learns about being human. She mines the subject for all the humor she can find (and she finds a LOT) while at the same showing respect for the religious aspects. It’s a high-wire act of writing, and she pulls it off wonderfully. Yeah, the willies went away; I really enjoyed this read. ”
  • Places by Andrew Martineau
    19 Jul. 2021
    “ This show starts out s-o-o-o normal with two students stopping to visit the new girl over lunch, then suddenly takes a left turn into something right out of The Twilight Zone. By the end you're wondering with the new girl. Is she in a play and doesn't know it, like Eddie Murphy in Bowfinger? Or was it all a play all along? Or was it meant to be a regular play and the show decided to write itself and ignore what the putative author wanted? I had a blast reading this!

    (SOUND CUE: Twilight Zone music) ”
  • Cast 1 Male by Rachel Feeny-Williams
    16 Jul. 2021
    “ If you've ever been involved in community theater you'll appreciate this comedy where a group of amateurs deal with a know-it-all professional who proves himself anything but. The dialog is sharp and, don't worry, there's a happy ending. True, there is a batch of drama along the way, but as my wife (not a theater person) says when I tell her about something, "Drama in a theater group! Who knew?" ”
  • A Christmas Carol (But not as you know it!) by Rachel Feeny-Williams
    16 Jul. 2021
    “ Holiday shows, especially ones based on A Christmas Carol, are an exercise in tightrope walking. How do you be sentimental without becoming mawkish or turning wiseacre? Rachel Feeny-Williams shows herself an accomplished tightrope walker with this show. It tells the story, has some surprises, keeps the sentiment and seasons the mixture with humor. What more could you want for Christmas? ”
  • Commercial Row (Formerly Briefcase Encounter 2007) by Alice Josephs
    10 Jul. 2021
    “ The series of misdirections in COMMERCIAL ROW makes you feel like you're in the middle of a financial version of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," albeit a very British one. The structure is almost cinematic, which gives a director (of which I am sometimes one) something nice to chew on in the staging. For the audience, the payoff is fun, as no one is quite who they seem in this dark farce and who ends up with who will surprise you. And isn't it nice to be surprised? ”
  • The Fierce Urgency Of Now by Doug DeVita
    5 Jan. 2021
    “ Stan Freberg once wrote in a Betsy Ross sketch, “Everybody Wants To Be an Art Director.” Actually, no. Kyle Malick in this play doesn’t, even if he is one now. His path to what he wants is the subject of this play. There is a universality about his story that goes beyond the fact that both Kyle and his lover are gay. (You could make the lover female and not change much in the dynamics or the lines.) All the locations are suggested, so tech is minimal. This is a fun read; I’d like to see it performed. ”
  • An Actor Despairs by Robert Cooperman
    1 Jan. 2021
    “ This 10-minute play is a funny take on some of our more pretentious theatrical ideas, among them that the text of a play is nothing other than a found item to be altered according our own desires. ”
  • A Kreutzer Sonata by Larry Rinkel
    4 Sep. 2020
    “ I normally dread plays where religion is a major subject, because so few of them treat the subject with respect. It's why I have no use for, say, "The Book of Mormon" or any of the "Nunsense" shows. But there are exceptions — Shanley's "Doubt," Pielmeir's "Agnes of God" and Simon's "God's Favorite," to name three. Now I can add "A Kreutzer Sonata" to my list. It held me from start to finish, flowing beautifully and illuminating how we can maneuver through culture clashes. If COVID ever ends, it's on my list of shows I'd like to direct. Well done! ”
  • Lessons in Feeling Human by Alli Hartley-Kong
    30 Aug. 2020
    “ This is a sweet little story that proves the saying "It's an ill wind that blows no good." This play is a story of two people who help each other in a time where everything they knew was knocked into a cocked hat. It's sentimental without being syrupy. Some plays you feel go on too long; others you feel sort of cheated because it wasn't long enough. "Lessons in Feeling Human" is, as Goldilocks would say, just right. And to think it was written because of COVID. As the saying goes . . . ”
  • Siblings by Karen Fix Curry
    30 Aug. 2020
    “ I really enjoyed reading this. The characters felt real, and there were several times I laughed out loud. It had sort of a "Steel Magnolias" feel to it, but can be set in any part of the country. It has three good parts for adult women, and doesn't demand anything complicated in the areas of sets and lighting. And what's not to like about a show with this life rule: "Everything looks brighter with chocolate"? ”

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