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Michael C. O'Day

Recommended by Michael C. O'Day

  • GIRL IS MINE by Jane Elias
    4 Feb. 2023
    “ Is there anything more fundamentally Gothic in the American experience - more grotesque, marked by heightened emotion, and haunted by the weight of the past - as high school? Jane Elias makes a smashing case in GIRL IS MINE, armed with the knowledge that a true Gothic heroine (or playwright) can only succeed by embracing the ambiguity and the dark corners of humanity. A disturbing, enigmatic delight. ”
  • ALEXANDRIA by Vince Gatton
    21 Nov. 2022
    “ It starts so simply, so poetically, a bittersweet naturalistic portrait of contemporary small-town life, a sensitive meditation on politics and faith and friendship. And then, because Vince Gatton is a diabolical genius, a series of breathtakingly terrifying surprises erupt, allowing the dark and monstrous fantasies buried deep in our national subconscious to come erupting to the surface. I won't tell you exactly what sort of an apocalypse you can expect, but I can promise you won't be the same when you come out the other side of it. Read this play. Produce this play. NOW. ”
  • The Rise and Fall of Miles and Milo by Sara Farrington
    20 Nov. 2022
    “ I was fortunate enough to see this play, one of the most brutally funny pieces I've ever seen, in its original NYFringe production. Looking at the script again, I see that time has blunted none of its satire. Indeed, its themes - the dangers of letting extreme wealth influence our culture, the seductive allure of selling out, the ease of self-delusion, the perils of confusing your art with your identity - are more desperately urgent than ever. Somebody revive this now - while They'll still let you. ”
  • Outer Banks by Stephen Foglia
    19 Nov. 2022
    “ Dear lord, the construction of this is gorgeous. Foglia's tale of a woman's inability (or refusal) to process her grief is rooted in such a specific sense of place, with such meticulously realized and relatable characters, that only gradually do you realize it as his tale enters the realm of full-blown Southern Gothic horror. A magnificent piece of work. ”
  • Elijah by Judith Leora
    18 Nov. 2022
    “ What a nifty metaphor for our squabbling, fractured nation Leora has constructed here. Its protagonist is trapped in a literal and figurative hurricane, and surrounded by a hilarious, vivid cross section of America's humanity - who try as they might, ultimately have no more of a way for her to lay her demons to rest (which are of course their demons as well) than they have a way to calm the storm outside. ”
  • LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC by Arlene Hutton
    18 Nov. 2022
    “ Hutton's evocation of a bygone era, and these two delightful young people making their way in it, is so wistful and charming that at first you don't notice the darkness of their world, the way their choices are hemmed in by forces and conditions they barely understand (and that the people around them barely understand). How they come to recognize and deal with that darkness makes for a lovely piece of drama - and a wonderful workout for two young actors. ”
  • In A Darkroom, The Lord Knows by Caitlin Turnage
    20 Oct. 2022
    “ Adolescence and sexuality are already pretty damn terrifying. Caitlin Turnage knows this and knows that we know it, making it all the more brutal as she shows how contemporary religion makes things exponentially worse, both in the dangerous external power relations it imposes and the way it warps its two protagonists' own sense of self. Sharply observed and powerful. (And "Pantyhose Rice Babies" is my new band name.) ”
  • The Ones Who Adapt by Greg Lam
    20 Oct. 2022
    “ Who better to comment on the tragic follies of humanity than the parasitic space monsters who've been sent here to destroy us? How better to make a pointed analysis of our grim political situation than with hot alien sex? Greg Lam is well versed in science fiction tropes, and has a lot of fun deploying them even as he mourns the catastrophic decisions and behavior of real-life human monsters. ”
  • The Other Side: A Chicken Play by Bill Schaumberg
    23 Sep. 2022
    “ Every once in a great while, a playwright happens upon a perfect metaphor for the human condition - here, it's three caged factory chickens, trying to fill the time as they await the inevitable and inventing much of human (or chicken) civilization in the process. You can try describing it - Samuel Beckett meets The Far Side, perhaps? - but there's no way to do justice to the scope of its vision or the humanity of its characters. Who are chickens. In any event, this needs to be produced now, widely, and often. ”
  • A FRIENDLY WAGER by Yolanda Wilkinson
    2 Jul. 2022
    “ The intersection of race, gender, religion, and class is a fraught place for any playwright to navigate, but Yolanda WIlkinson's dishy drama - with five friends playing a drinking game whose revelations become more and more explosive - maneuvers these choppy waters with ease and style. Don't be fooled by the short length - this is a rich feast for actresses. ”

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