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Melanie Coffey

Recommended by Melanie Coffey

  • Elephant by Leah Roth Barsanti
    20 Jul. 2020
    “ Leah's feminist adaptation of Hemingway's short story is a play I keep going back to, to read, think about and be inspired by. A beautifully written and structured play, I found myself writing lines down when reading it, the dialogue is beautiful, and even the stage directions and transitions keep the reader in this poetic and ethereal world. With a complex and controversial plot, Leah does a fantastic job of exploring the different options Jig has, while never romanticizing either. A wonderful play that I can't wait to see produced! ”
  • 1821 by Tony Mantia
    20 Jul. 2020
    “ A fantastic, funny and dark play, Mantia has created a realistic world and a familiar cast of characters. Set during a friends' weekend at a cabin in the middle of no where, it feels like a movie we've all seen. But instead of horror, the play brilliantly excavates the toxicity of the friendship between the two men, highlighting and delving into their insecurities and past experiences. A wonderfully complex play! ”
  • Bandera, Texas by Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend
    3 Jul. 2020
    “ A beautiful story filled with humor, quips and heartbreak. I loved this play and could not put it down, wanting to continue living in the world of quirky characters and fast dialogue, that Lisa created. With a fantastic, funny and lovable main character leading the story and her two wonderful grandmothers' ghosts giving her advice, joking and telling their life stories, the piece doubles as a beautifully written love letter to mothers and grandmothers and their daughters. After reading this play, I called my own grandmothers, as Lisa's beautiful words have reminded me to not take them for granted. ”
  • Perennials by Evalena Lakin
    7 May. 2020
    “ A beautiful, tightly woven play, Evalena has created this wonderful balance of a dangerous world and beautiful visuals that have continued to stick with me over the weeks since reading it. The characters are constantly interesting, their banter and conversation fly by as the play moves to a fantastically shocking ending. By giving hints and details of how the world has changed, there are these lovely moments of humor in a dark, end of the world play. Never preaching to the audience, Evalena has written a beautiful, timely, heartbreaking little gem of a play. ”