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Aleks Merilo

Recommended by Aleks Merilo

  • Concordance by John Minigan
    31 Aug. 2019
    “ A play of deep resonance and conviction. Whereas the current trend for new plays is to go tighter, faster, simpler, John Minigan defies that convention completely. The enormity of the scope he takes on could be compared to the works Peter Schaffer. Set in the legendary Bedlam asylum, the emotions and passions of the characters are immensely colorful in contrast to the hell that surrounds them. The root of the play, being the relationship between Alexander and Christina endears, shocks, and pulls at the heartstrings. Oh, and designers would drool over this play. I am always a fan of John. ”
  • My Aim is True by Lucy Wang
    30 Aug. 2019
    “ "In this nightmare, whose face do you see?" On the surface, it is an interrogation of a persecuted woman. On another level, it is the American conflict between Native Americans and the US government played out in a mircocosm. Proof that sometimes the most infuriating racism is the kind that comes from an character who in his heart believes he is noble. 10-minute plays are all too often a chance to run a gimmick or a frivolous gag - I am so happy to see Lucy Wang use this form to portray the drama and tragedy of America's original sin. ”
  • TEACH by Donna Hoke
    30 Aug. 2019
    “ Riveting, disquieting, even dangerous. Hoke has created a timelessly rich conflict about how The battle between head and heart plays out. Watching the tension slowly boil to the surface is truly cathartic, especially when it is written with such genuine authenticity. A clever casting choice allows us to, in a sense, watch a character come of age twice at two different points in her life - A structural choice I have never seen before. I would love to be a fly on the wall when the audience debates at the end of the show. ”
  • Soldier Poet by Darcy Parker Bruce
    17 Aug. 2019
    “ "Soldier Poet" is nearly biblical in its scope. Yet, with a tight focus on two soldiers and nurse, the playwright has distilled the enormity of the conflict into the immediacy of 4 actors. The audience is locked in purgatory with the characters, who wrestle to bring some small good into a city that is tearing itself apart. Remarkably, the play never succumbs to bleakness. Terse dialogue suddenly sprouts into lyrical composition and the absurdity of the situation births biblical imagery. This is a play that I will think about for a long time to come. ”
  • The New Galileos by Amy Berryman
    16 Aug. 2019
    “ Set in a world where scientific fact becomes a threat, and restrictions on the free press have silenced debate, a last act of defiance comes when a daughter's well intentioned gesture and a children's book are seen as plots to overthrow the government. Berryman has created a chilling yet plausible near future. When the truth of the protagonists imprisonment is revealed, and a truly ominous villain offers salvation, we are brought full circle into the nature of scientific progress as a constant fight against the powers threatened by it. Berryman has transformed scientific debate into a tight thriller.
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  • The Hook-Up by Ken Levine
    14 Aug. 2019
    “ A deeply amusing and meta look at our oversharing culture of over exposure and exhibitionism. Fast paced and cleverly structured, the twists are unpredictable, but seem inevitable in retrospect. Levine's ear for comedic dialogue and speech patterns are slickly polished, playing like a contemporary Billy Wilder. Dialogue that appears naturalistic on first glance gradually reveals itself as thoughtfully orchestrated and jokes composed like a piece of music. This play must be a riot in person, and based on it's production history, it seems to be deservedly successful. I would hate to work on the one act that performs after this... ”
  • GIRL BEFORE A MIRROR by Martha Patterson
    13 Aug. 2019
    “ A coming of age story of a young woman who is a muse, passing fancy, and perhaps you could even say victim of the enigmatic Pablo Picasso. It is a story of lasting love, not in the form a an affair, or even a painting, but most touchingly, between a mother and daughter. Despite the famous painting that inspires it, the true image remembered at the end of this play is the final moment of a child comforted by a parent who saw exactly what was coming. Patterson has created a sad, sweet, and ethereal moment. ”
  • The Persuadables by Hallie Palladino
    12 Aug. 2019
    “ "Kent here tells me you’re improbably good at winning hopeless elections..." From that line on, I was hooked. I love the kind of play that pulls back the curtain on a hidden world, in this case, big data and Cambridge Analytica. Pallandino's insight into the field is extremely impressive, going beyond the surface- The sources listed at the end attest to her deep research. What's doubly impressive is that she was able to merge that knowledge into a taut narrative full of crosses and double crosses on a national scale. Frighteningly, this is a play for today and tomorrow. ”
  • Buried by Audrey Webb
    9 Aug. 2019
    “ A poignant reflection of two siblings reaching a point of emotional maturity only in the final days of ones life. Webb deftly side-steps melodrama, and allows the relationship to remain unvarnished. Indeed, the smallest of gestures in this script are the ones that carry the most emotional heft: A covert joint between conspiring loved ones, a hint of knowledge of eachother's guilty secrets. We are left with the wonder of the compassion and friendship these two could have had if sickness hadn't claimed one of them. A wistful, sweet and sad piece. ”
  • Ever-Fixed by Sara Jean Accuardi
    8 Aug. 2019
    “ This is so provocative and wonderfully uncomfortable on several levels. On the surface it appears to be the lovelorn youth in the midst of his own romantic conquest. On a deeper read, it strikes a blow to one of the most famous love sonnets of all time. It doesn't fall back on cliches of toxic masculinity, but instead a misguided sincerity that, as Accuardi so skillfully demonstrates, is not simply accepted, but celebrate in classic literature. The result is jarring: A predator who thinks he is a romantic hero. I will not look at Sonnet 116 the same way again. ”

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