Recommended by Jordan Elizabeth Henry

  • WALKING HOME - a monologue
    23 Nov. 2020
    I was pleased to be able to see this monologue in production during the PGE Faces of America Monologue Festival this month. The piece is chilling -- for any survivor of sexual assault, the feelings this will stir will be familiar. What chills me most about the play is the age of the character -- 50+ -- and the fact that this trauma has followed her for decades. A well-paced piece that will stick with you.
  • Fresh Paint
    23 Nov. 2020
    This is another beautiful piece from Gill, and I am grateful I was able to see it in production as part of the PGE Faces of America Monologue Festival this month. The image of the flag -- both its presence and absence on the garage door, as well as the image of it in Amrit's arms -- is so striking. As with Gill's other plays, FRESH PAINT is a piece of nuance and subtlety, but with tremendous power behind the words.
  • The Dobler Effect
    27 May. 2020
    A sweet short about love, romance, and companionship. As a Say Anything-lover, I was so charmed by the romantic gesture and the desire for connection exhibited in it. This would be a nice addition to a festival of shorts about love.
  • THE PLATYPODES
    27 May. 2020
    THE PLATYPODES has long been on my to-read list, and I'm so glad I finally had a chance to encounter this rare, vibrant play. Wyndham has gifted us with complicated characters in a difficult situation. An interesting and complex discussion of the intricacies of women's rights and neurological differences.
  • All In A White Trash Pie
    27 May. 2020
    Such a sweet stunner of a short play. It's full of heart, pain, and humor, and it deals with the complications and fears about starting a family. Jonte once again paints an entire world and an entire relationship in such a small space. WHITE TRASH PIE would be a really wonderful addition to a holiday-themed festival of short plays.
  • Stars and Crescent
    19 Mar. 2020
    This is a dynamic piece of theatre that calls on the audience to engage with uncomfortable dichotomies. Gill uses well-crafted characters to usher the audience into an alternate history where the west was the victim rather than the perpetrator of imperialism. Throughout this confrontation, new layers of character are developed and blur the lines between who is right and who is wrong -- and whether there is a middle ground. Gill is an expert story-teller. STARS AND CRESCENT is a challenging, engaging play that is an important piece for our current moment.
  • I Let Them Out
    15 Mar. 2020
    A chilling piece of radio drama, I LET THEM OUT is haunting and frightening. I can also easily see it performed onstage with fantastic light effects and set design.
  • EMERGENCY CONTACT
    13 Mar. 2020
    EMERGENCY CONTACT is full of heart, love, pain, and forgiveness. Manny has some truly beautiful moments, and I love how his story ends -- that he chooses his own self-worth and is generous with himself above others, even someone he loves. Shawn's anxiety hits so close to home for me; it feels so real, so personal, and so raw. Watching Derrick drown is heartbreaking in the worst way; I had tears in my eyes toward the end of this powerful play. These three men navigate their own and each other's pain with so much compassion and grace. Beautiful.
  • Swallow
    13 Mar. 2020
    Becoming smaller. Becoming quieter. Taking up less space. SWALLOW is a chilling and immediate and necessary monologue. SWALLOW is also about the nonlinear quality of time: that there is still a version of "me" on the bathroom floor, still trying to become smaller, still crushing mints and washing their face. I can only imagine how powerful it would be to see a performance of this play.
  • Photos with my Rapist: A One-Minute Monologue
    12 Mar. 2020
    Chilling. Heartbreaking. Close to home. A hard play to read, but a necessary one.

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