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Eli Effinger-Weintraub

Recommended by Eli Effinger-Weintraub

  • Oh, No! I Flew Too Close to the Sun! by Rand Higbee
    5 Nov. 2018
    “ A hilarious play about an actor giving (literally) his all for the craft. Amongst the nonstop laughs, Higbee asks some subtle questions about justice, faith in the government, and the comforting white lies we all tell to get us through the day. And did I mention that it's side-splittingly funny? ”
  • Go Ask D'Alice by Vicki Vodrey
    3 Nov. 2018
    “ This piece packs a lot of punch into a short package. Extreme reactions to isolation and loss; real and perceived power imbalance; all the ways we misunderstand each other and miss chances to connect; our society's insistence that a woman is "less" if she doesn't have children. Vodrey offers us all of this with a subtle touch and a lot of laughs. ”
  • Two Late by Allan Maule
    1 Nov. 2018
    “ OK, wow. Come for the laughs, stay for the moment of fierce human connection in an angry world. Maule draws you in with well-timed (and quite timely) quips and barbs, and then, once you REALLY like the characters, he opens up the heart of them and shows you the deeply relatable vulnerabilities beneath the witty façades. Consider your heart-strings tugged and your thoughts provoked. ”
  • The Elephant and the Light in Claire's Suitcase by Greg Romero
    29 Oct. 2018
    “ A poignant and lyrical work that dives into the heart of loss without needing to name it. This piece's dreamlike quality heightens the reality of Claire's slowly fading memory and Bruce's growing grief. An unexpected approach to Alzheimer's and other forms of memory loss that packs a punch which is almost stronger for its gentleness. ”
  • Twisted Deaths by Shannon TL Kearns
    28 Oct. 2018
    “ Through solid interpersonal relationships and complex characters, this play connects our hearts and heads to some really big issues: end-of-life decision-making; transphobia; and the deeply broken US healthcare system, among others. All characters are well-developed with clear goals and desires, and their stories intersect in fascinating and sometimes surprising ways. A play that will make you think, and feel, and want to ACT. ”
  • Tattooed Quilt by Jessie Salsbury
    26 Oct. 2018
    “ So, so much is happening in this play. In the constant positioning for power between a Black tattoo artist at the top of her game and an (allegedly) reformed white supremacist looking for redemption (or maybe a way to escape accountability), Salsbury presents both a future I'd dearly love to see and a microcosm of the current political landscape, all while deftly reminding us that the personal is political. The questions posed here have no easy answers, so Salsbury wisely offers none. ”
  • One is the Road by Mark Loewenstern
    25 Oct. 2018
    “ Beautifully relentless. Pulls you into its rhythm from the beginning and pulls you along inexorably, even as you begin to see disaster looming. There's not a wasted word in the entire piece, and Loewenstern has worked real magic in creating incredibly vivid characters (yes, characters, even in a monodrama), settings, and relationships with real economy of language. ”
  • I'll Tell You at Sunrise by Franky D. Gonzalez
    23 Oct. 2018
    “ The details make this beautiful piece sing. Within a deceptively simple premise, Gonzalez layers connections of the heart, the desperation of depression, and a vividly depicted account of the small moments that make life worth living. Gonzalez connects his characters to each other, and to us, through the specificity of what moves us and makes us human. The uncertainty of the ending keeps the audience inspired well beyond the ending, calling on us to seek out those all-important connections in our own lives. ”
  • Ask Me Anything by Philip Middleton Williams
    22 Oct. 2018
    “ Hilariously disturbing. The laughs never stop as the situation gets increasingly absurd (and what a great pair of roles, both verbally and physically, for performers to sink their teeth into!). Even as you weep for all the laws being broken, a part of you thinks, "Yeah, in this economy I would do all that and possibly more." And the ending puts a perfect button on the whole experience. A wild ride in ten minutes. ”
  • The Swallows by Kevin King
    22 Oct. 2018
    “ A delightful piece where so much happens under the surface of the conversation. The characters speak with wonderfully distinctive voices and have clear motivations and desires. King conveys the sense of two people who've lived in each other's pockets for a long time via subtle shorthands: backhanded compliments, veiled jabs, and moments of genuine attempts at connection that show they know exactly where each other's hurt spots are. Although the play deals with timely issues, there's also a timelessness to these characters and the relationship they share. ”

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