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Doug DeVita

Recommended by Doug DeVita

  • Dinosaur by Steven Hayet
    10 Mar. 2020
    “ What is remarkable about this play — and there are many remarkable things about it, not the least of which is its expert mix of humor and fear — is its timelessness. From the fictional Miss Havisham to the all-too-real Ted Cruz, the inclination to self-quarantine for whatever reasons (fear, paranoia, insecurity, insanity...) is a universal occurrence, and there’s hardly an era in which there hasn’t been a reason and/or a desire to hide from the world. Hayet nails these impulses with smart and snappy dialogue and characters who are charming and relatable. A smart, funny, and frightening work. ”
  • Another Conversation by Marjorie Bicknell
    9 Mar. 2020
    “ "Place: Somewhere else. Possibly heaven. Possibly not."

    And with that wonderfully sly description, Bicknell starts the reader (and/or audience) on an equally wonderful, and witty, journey into a post-life bit of reckoning for Hamlet's mother Gertrude, from his spurned love Ophelia. The venom flows, the accusations fly, and Gertrude's obtusely defensive denials mount with each line while one is left to simply sit back and marvel at Bicknell's wordplay, a darkly comic feast of Shakespearean proportions. Such nasty fun! ”
  • My Aim is True by Lucy Wang
    9 Mar. 2020
    “ A powerful ten-minute play that steadily builds tension, made even more poignant — and painful — by the knowledge of Anna Mae’s imminent disappearance and eventual death. Riveting. ”
  • Concerto For Organ In B-Sharp by Lucy Wang
    9 Mar. 2020
    “ The blackest of black comedies, one could see this as an actual game show, which in itself makes a statement about the statement Wang makes with this jaw-droppingly astute and horrifyingly funny short play. It’s awfully wonderful. ”
  • Socks by Kate Danley
    9 Mar. 2020
    “ A delightful throwback to the golden years of screwball comedy routines, one can easily imagine George Burns and Gracie Allen having a field day playing these roles. Or any other comic duo lucky enough to sink their teeth into this delicious little charmer. ”
  • The Age of Understanding or, The Character of Dad by Franky D. Gonzalez
    9 Mar. 2020
    “ In less than ten pages, Franky Gonzales chronicles the history of fatherhood, and he does it with gut-wrenchingly brutal honesty. At times funny, at times upsetting, and always moving, this is a beautiful ten minutes, and a tour de force for any actor lucky enough to be the husband. ”
  • Discovery by Marjorie Bicknell
    7 Mar. 2020
    “ A legal dilemma clashes with an ethical one in this taut drama in which there are no easy answers or solutions. Bicknell’s terse dialogue keeps the tension building right up to the end. Does anyone win? Can anyone win? That’s the tantalizing question hovering over the proceedings, long after Bicknell has brought the piece to its conclusion. ”
  • Dora's Dynamic Dates by Marjorie Bicknell
    7 Mar. 2020
    “ A wistfully humorous short piece, easy to produce and with two great roles, “Dora’s Dynamic Dates” tugs at the heartstrings while tickling the funny bone. Dynamic, yes, but also deliciously human. ”
  • Carolee's Closet by Marjorie Bicknell
    7 Mar. 2020
    “ There’s a lot going on in Carolee’s closet, besides all of her hopes, dreams, and plans she’s hidden from her mother in there for years. An absurdly surreal comedy, Bicknell makes one laugh not just from her hilarious premise and punchlines, but also from the underlying pathos of Carolee’s plight, which allows us to be invested in the way she slowly but surely turns the tables on her prying, overbearing mother. ”
  • The Lumpp Family Reunion by Marjorie Bicknell
    7 Mar. 2020
    “ Leave it to Marjorie Bicknell to write about a family so dysfunctional they literally maim and destroy each other over the course of three family parties — and make it all horrifyingly, explosively funny to boot. AND she does it moving backwards in time. One alternately gasps with laughter, with shock, and with admiration for the skill with which she’s pulled it all off. ”

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