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Toby Malone

Recommended by Toby Malone

  • Don't Scream by Rachel Feeny-Williams
    11 Jan. 2022
    “ A delightful two-hander built on a great prompt: what if someone is physically unable to scream and they are confronted with a terrifying situation? In this smart scene, Alice comes home to find Dan robbing her house. Her response? "Oh." As Dan digs in more and more to Alice's physical inability to scream, the burglary is forgotten and the curiously British sense of decorum takes over. I hate to say that this would be a 'scream' to produce, but it really would. ”
  • Woe! Misery! Children's Theater! by Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend
    30 Nov. 2021
    “ The thing I like best about 'Queen Mari's Castle: Live!' is it is very clear that Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend is following her instincts and is listening as the story unfolds. I admire Lisa's willingness to follow the big plot twists to their logical conclusion, and to really lean in to the character building. The figurative hell of a children's theatre tour (we've all been there) is cleverly converted into something more sinister, and LIsa gleefully plays it out to the end. And never forget as you read: half the cast are in dog costumes the whole time... ”
  • Swallow by Jan Rosenberg
    12 Jun. 2021
    “ Jan Rosenberg writes about important things. Sometimes, 'recovery' can feel like a goal you get to and then everything's fine, like if you "get over" an addiction or a disease or a compulsion then your life is somehow "fixed" or "normal" again. Jan does such a beautiful job of disabusing us of this notion: where past affliction is always replaced with present scars and future, unanticipated parallel habits. Here, "recovery" feels like a mirage, attainable but impossible, where there are new worries to slip in its place. Unflinching and real. Important. ”
  • The Oktavist by Vince Gatton
    9 Jun. 2021
    “ A movingly layered historical short wherein a young man expresses his intent to join the church choir, and not in just any position, but in the hardest position of all to sing, based on an epiphany that he does not understand. Finely crafted and thoughtfully phrased, Gatton does an excellent job of never overplaying his hand, but asks the audience to either interpret his words on their surface meaning, or to look deeper for greater nuance. A strong, effective piece. ”
  • She Tunes the Violin: The Life of Martha Jefferson by Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend
    9 Jun. 2021
    “ As a non-American, this play took me twice as long to read as it should because I kept having to pause to check historical details, and I can truly say I've learned so much by reading it. In Lisa's usual style, this play is conversational, quippy, and jocular, but still holds a great sense of gravity and respect for its subject matter. Martha Jefferson is celebrated for the sacrifices she made for her notorious husband, and is touchingly elevated to show that it was all worth something. A wonderful historical fiction that breathes real life into its subjects. ”
  • Sock Puppet Fetish Noir by Kelly McBurnette-Andronicos
    8 Jun. 2021
    “ Ever wondered where your missing socks go when they vanish from the dryer? And ever wondered about whether investigating those missing socks through an elaborate role-playing kink involving detective noir sock puppets? Well, of course you haven't, which is what makes the angle Kelly McBurnette-Andronicos takes so refreshing and fun here. Visual humor cranked up to ten, puns everywhere, and a great closing line. ”
  • Friends IRL by Rachel Aberman
    8 Jun. 2021
    “ A succinct, honest take on the ways in which friendships evolve - sometimes they fade away on their own, but sometimes they get a little... nudge. Here, the very direct Lula calls out her now-Facebook-only friend Dan on losing track of her and surrendering to toxicity. Sometimes a Facebook friend can feel like enough, but it's just not the same as IRL. ”
  • Joy Frickin' Hates Her Dumb Stupid Room by Sara Jean Accuardi
    8 Jun. 2021
    “ A rollicking delight of a play that cuts to the core for every one of us who have spent the last year and a half inside because of this frickin' dumb stupid pandemic. It's one thing to write a play about an embittered thirteen year old bemoaning her unfair parents, but to include the hamster reincarnation of the 500-years-dead hellscape artist Hieronymus Bosch? That's a stroke of genius. This is a brilliantly zappy, relevant piece that illustrates exactly what rumbles at the core of every quarantined person - and especially those poor kids. Highly recommended. ”
  • The Play of Excessive Exposition, Stereotypical Characters, and Cliches by Neil Radtke
    6 Jun. 2021
    “ A hoot of a play that proves why playwrights love exposition so much: because it opens up so many new avenues and interesting topics! Over-doing exposition is usually the death-knell to most short plays, but here Neil Ratke offers exposition on exposition, spilling out of every expository lines that leads to far more exposition, that eventually the fault becomes a strength, unwinding a story of such ridiculous depth but you can't help but surrender. Good stuff. ”
  • Hell Is Empty by TJ Young
    26 May. 2021
    “ Some friendships run deeper than blood. Time, and experience, and shared memory are a powerful thing, and promises made as kids can become powerful weapons even as we grow into adulthood. In TJ Young's complex work in progress, we see the potential of a setup where long-made promises are cashed in based on 25 year old oaths, where the reality of the action becomes more confronting than anyone could have hoped. This play is a purgative, it is a love song to fraternal bonds. I'm enjoying watching this piece grow and deepen in its developmental process. Come for the ride. ”

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