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Bethany Dickens Assaf

Recommended by Bethany Dickens Assaf

  • The Forest by Lia Romeo
    26 Oct. 2021
    “ One of those plays that leaves you breathless and aching (in the best way!). I was immediately struck by the generosity and warmth between Juliet and Pam - though I've read many plays about memory loss, their resigned and often-gracious understanding was a wonderful element I'd never seen depicted before. Romeo also perfectly captures the heaviness of and unsolvable disagreements and differences between the two women. This is a very lived-in relationship that develops into a meaningful and compellingly complicated story about loss - how it entangles, empties, and changes us. And that ending - wow. ”
  • Culture Night by Amanda L. Andrei
    26 Oct. 2021
    “ A passionate, energetic, and imaginative play: "Culture Night" boldly depicts a range of experiences on what it means to be Filipinx and allows its characters to deepen into their own resolutions, as the magical realism in the piece also develops into a striking third act. Central to the story is the theme of credibility: how to enter and move through communities - and while all audiences will resonate with this conflict writ large, I appreciated the uncompromising specificity of experience with which the play is drawn. I highly recommend this play, which demands to be performed and experienced! ”
  • Bluehair by Lainie Vansant
    26 Oct. 2021
    “ I was enthralled with the theatrical and wonderful places this play took me! Vansant is always so adept in using the stage to tell complete and well-structured stories about millennial angst, and Ray's journey here is a true delight to watch. The moment where Cron suddenly appears is sure to bring the house down! ”
  • Hazard Pay by Lainie Vansant
    13 Oct. 2021
    “ An empathetic and beautifully-crafted conversation between two people that evolves into something much deeper, broader, and challenging. Vansant wisely conceals Jess' job for the majority of the play and the subtle reveal of what it is caused a catch in my throat. The question of whether or not it's safe to bring children into the world we've created - with all of its violence - provides a deep undercurrent of hope and dread, raising the stakes on the conversation, and causing it to linger in our minds. Masterfully done. ”
  • How to Talk to Your Child About Satan by Daniel Prillaman
    13 Oct. 2021
    “ WOW this play had me absolutely HOWLING with laughter! Prillaman's work is so bold in its opening, so clear-headed in its purpose ("out of the mouths of babes," cast in a totally unexpected setting), and so crisp in its pacing - I enjoyed every moment. Each of the four characters feels necessary and gets a lot to do in just ten minutes. Highly recommend! ”
  • After This Episode by Brianna Barrett
    6 Oct. 2021
    “ From the opening pages, I was so taken with this play's honesty, humor, and warmth. Barrett gets so much right here about hospitals, social media, grief, the critical mental health needs of caregivers, (hospital-centered TV programming! I could go on!), and does so through the lens of three well-crafted and well-balanced characters. This is top of my list to recommend to any theatre, particularly high schools, since the play provides rich material for young actors that never becomes shallow in its depiction of teenagers' anxieties, identity, and desire to connect in an authentic way. ”
  • NIXIN' NIXON (10 Minute Play) by Elisabeth Giffin Speckman
    21 Sep. 2021
    “ I am so taken with this witty play and its protagonists. The playwright has taken a delightful and unexpected point of tension for two roommates, raised the stakes, and developed the deeper reasons for their argument (who among us hasn't navigated personal autonomy in a shared space?). A master-class in comedy writing! ”
  • Composure by Scott Sickles
    17 Sep. 2021
    “ I am completely enraptured by this play and Sickles’ ability to navigate multiple storylines at once, blending multiple tragedies, timeless love - and excellent dramaturgy on Shakespeare - into a piece that is so unified in its theming, so meticulous in its execution, so rare in its earned beauty (yes Fletcher deserves justice from Tommy - to go on without it is a brave choice). There is no paucity of excellent roles here: each one - including a climactic, unexpected appearance by a survivor of gun violence - presents a layer of the thematic heart of the play. Highly recommended! ”
  • Remarkably, the Stars Say Hello by Emily Hageman
    16 Sep. 2021
    “ And absolutely lovely piece of short theater with an undercurrent of science fiction that develops naturally and with great integrity: Hageman's characters are warm, relatable, and would be a treat for the actors to play. I particularly love the atmosherics of the work, which are heightened in the plays gorgeous ending. This is a rich work that is sure to be discussed and felt deeply. ”
  • Hearts Like Planets by Adam Szymkowicz
    16 Sep. 2021
    “ A treat from start to finish: from the first few lines, I found myself completely enraptured by Szymkowicz's confident and colorful world-building. I also appreciated the oxygen the play gives each moment to develop into something hilarious and human (examples abound, from a wildly funny scene between two nurses to the "doughnut" conversation). These are not digressions; rather, they sum up to a very fine exploration of the joys of life: ever present if we would only embrace them. ”

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