Recommended by Scott Sickles

YIKES!!! ACK!!! OY!!!

What a journey! The dark of night! The edge of death! The drink of desire! Secrets abound and revelations astound!

If you're single or simply unadventurous, this will justify those life choices!

OOF!

[10.21.24]

There's a profound stillness to the proceedings. I've never seen such an elegant depiction of the liminal space between life and death as the limbo Syran presents. Physically prone and paralyzed, metaphysically Emily Dickinson is poised, upright, a vision in white, as a tug-of-war is waged for her immortal soul. It's a war she's uninterested in winning on conventional terms. The art is what is meant to last. The aftermath of the battle is a stunner that will resound within my soul. [10.21.24]

The pacing of this play, especially at the start, is so effortlessly natural, watching it feel like an invastion of privacy. These characters are lived in, real, very very married for a very long time. Rohani cements their bond by making sure they never tell each other things they already know unless they NEED TO. The play beaufiully builds a vast world beyond the walls of their house, filled with people that matter. A rich and resonant piece, made more elegant by the use of live music. Lovely

This play had me at "Medieval-themed children's store" and then leapt into the comedic stratosphere with unbridled insanity. The relentless one-upmanship and defensive deflection between the moms is as brutal as any nature documentary. The double standards and warped priorities of a society waging war on women are blitehly eviscerated, and the store's retail "Fool" provides perfect comic counterpoint.

The play is also a gift to costume/prop designers who get to pull out all the... um... stops.

I love a play set during a meteor shower, especially when a human sacrifice is involved!
It's not really a spoiler to say that the human sacrifice was wishful thinking on my part (esp since no one else at the Midwest Dramatists Conference jumped to that conclusion). Le sigh. Instead of ritual decapitation, we get an intimately detailed, heartfelt exchange between two women connecting under a sky shimmering with falling stars. And I suppose that's okay too.

Seriously, this is a lovely play.

Jolly has taken metaphoric misogeny to a glorious extreme with this post-apocalyptic rage-virus nail-biter. Waht the virus does is bad enough, but in some ways some guys are already at the nadir (or apex?) of male entitlement. The play perferctly captures the male entitlement of the incel. Sadly, there are two "last men" and the one who's an ally to women might not stay that way if infected. An intense examination of sexual poltics, rape culture, and the complexities of mercy.

It's been a while since I experienced a FRAGILE MIND ep. After skimming the synopses of earlier episodes, I jumped in... and was intantly back in the world and the story! Bravo! Great serialized writing!

The on-the-run urgency is heartpounding throughout. Swenson masterfully makes us doubt everyone's realities. The beautifully rainy dystopic atmosphere envelops them and us. It's fascinating to see the Great Experiment unravel while desperately trying to contain our heroes (and villains?).

Onward!

As a Korean American with a German surname, I felt this play in my Mixed BIPOC DNA!

Anyone who has worked in admin will recognize the dynamics and tenor of this meeting, and I imagine anyone who has worked in educational admin on diversity issues will be outright triggered! McBurnette-Andronicos gives us a discussion about "minority" identities that's equal parts hilarious, thorough, and truthful.

Delightfully cringy roles in a play that flies by! You might even get out of the meeting by five!

In his finest, most theatrical and resonant play to date, Heyman powerfully depicts a subjective neurodivergent perspective onstage. Something is up with Jackson but exactly where he is in the DSM remains a mystery until exactly when we need to know. Any son whose interest in their inner universe thwarted their dad's demands to engage with the outer world will relate. The characters and relationships, especially J's conflict with reality and desire, are profound and heartbreaking.
[9/26/2024]

Even atavistic desires can be trepidations, especially when one knows that one is supposed to want something and yet one does not! And what cat does not love a box? With sublime humor and depth, Norkin deftly dissects the paralysis evoked by the threat of imminent fulfillment. A unique and compelling examination at the human psyche through a feline lens! Meow, indeed...
[9/23/2024]