Recommended by Jordan Elizabeth Henry

  • Fireflies (5-minute)
    1 Mar. 2018
    WOW. This play is GORGEOUS. It's hypnotic, rhythmic, poetic, romantic -- I'm totally blown away by how much ground this play covers in such a short space. I love it.
  • Tinder... Sucka
    1 Mar. 2018
    Fun, hilarious, quick-witted. Such a strange and wonderful idea executed to perfection. This would be such a fun project for every artist involved: from dramaturg to sound/lighting/set designers to director to fight choreographer to actors. Craig-Galvan writes in such a way that I can see the action in my mind while reading the script -- it's really a delight. Theatres should be queuing up to produce this play!
  • Mother's Day
    26 Feb. 2018
    What a fun, fantastic play. Thompson strikes an impressive balance between lighthearted humor and exploration of African-American female stereotypes through the ages. Intriguing, challenging roles for women, this play would be a blast to produce and to see.
  • Bodies
    25 Feb. 2018
    As I finished this play, I realized I'd been holding my breath -- this play is intense, immediate, in your face. The shifting balance of power between these two characters makes this play truly sing. The tenderness, gentleness between W and her gun is juxtaposed so shockingly and effectively with the violent intensity of her shadowboxing and chanting. This is an important piece of the conversation about the relationship between gun violence and domestic violence -- about what it means to bring violence home with you in your body and in your mind. Brilliant, beautiful, timely.
  • When Mountains Move
    25 Feb. 2018
    I was lucky enough to see this play in different phases of its development and am blown away by the depth of its dignity, honesty, and intensity. WHEN MOUNTAINS MOVE houses some of the most engaging, strong female characters I've encountered -- women who faced often-overlooked, desperate circumstances and turned the tides in favor of their own well-being. This play has epic breadth, both in the vastness of the time it covers, and it's far-reaching significance for this moment in our country's economic and environmental history. Isom Campbell has gifted us with truly unforgettable moments and characters.
  • Power to the People
    20 Feb. 2018
    Oh, I like this play very much. The relationship between Him and Her feels very specific and simultaneously universal, as does their conflict. In this piece, Haymer makes the expected seem kind of extraordinary -- a slice of the life of a couple learning the ropes of being tethered together in more ways than one: that they are both moved in the same way to take the same actions without discussing it first. They create a problem for themselves, but at the end of this play you feel confident they can face the challenge together.
  • On Break at L.L. Bean
    19 Feb. 2018
    What a beautiful, heart-felt exploration of kinship between two men: their conflict is real, immediate, and visceral because the love between them feels so true. There are so many gems tucked inside this short play.
  • Pataki of Oba: The Dutiful Wife
    16 Feb. 2018
    This play beautifully uses folklore to comment on contemporary relationships: when two women fight for a cheating man's attention, neither woman wins. There are so many really powerful images in this play -- Iku (Death) becoming the supper table; Obba sacrificing a part of her body to win the affections of her husband. And the characters' narration of events as they happen highlights the circular repetition of this story. Frazier's dialogue is both poetic and grounded, striking a really unique balance. I would love to see this play onstage!
  • Personal
    15 Feb. 2018
    What a lovely play about connection, vulnerability, and possibility. Leona and Jack come to each other under strange circumstances, but they end up connecting in surprising ways. Jordan Ford's dialogue is air-tight, natural, and -easy- : there's such a wonderful ease about the way these character's communicate. And Ford captures really perfectly how disorienting it is to be 26-years-old without a plan or sense of purpose. I love Jack and Leona; I'm excited to read more of Jordan Ford's work.
  • A Visit to Weizenbaum
    13 Feb. 2018
    This play is so intriguing and inspiring; it asks deep questions about humanity (and, thankfully, offers no simple answers). I love the conversation about genetic and machine code -- how all code is capable of evolution, adaptability, and change. A fascinating look at where world militaries are headed, and what that means for human nature.

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