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Kate Black-Spence

Recommended by Kate Black-Spence

  • New Oleanna by Zach Barr
    15 Mar. 2023
    “ I've been thinking about this play since I read it last month. It's nuanced, timely, meta, and smart. It's accessible for all audiences, regardless of their familiarity with Oleanna, and will inspire complex debate in post show discussions that will last well after leaving the theatre. As a writer, I look at how tightly woven this story is, the many levels it exists on, and the interpretations of power and it leaves me humbled. ”
  • GTFOH by Nikki Brake-Silla
    23 Nov. 2021
    “ This is the kind of play you bring your partner to and then clear off the schedule for the weekend because there is SO MUCH TO BREAKDOWN. Nikki gives her audience the gift of witnessing the accumulation of small flags in a marriage that, when gone ignored, lead to that pivotal question: Is it too late for us to fix this? Watching this at Orlando Shakes in workshop was a gift. There was a stillness in the audience which was a testament to our investment in the characters, and the expertly crafted journey Nikki took us on. ”
  • Last Ship to Proxima Centauri by Greg Lam
    17 Nov. 2021
    “ My introduction to Greg's work was through the Orlando Shakes Playfest where this play was workshopped. I'm officially a fan and can't wait to read more of his work.

    This play was so clever and immensely important in the ways it tackles topics of immigration, American-centrism, and white privilege, that I was speechless the rest of the evening. He strikes an impossible balance of compassion and culpability for both, the crew and the settlers. It's been days now, and I still have moments where I think about how deftly it was written and am left shaking my head in awe. ”
  • Freshly Fallen Snow by M.E.H. Lewis
    13 May. 2020
    “ One of my favorite of MEH's pieces. A haunting story about memory, vulnerability and our own humanity. I saw this in a run at Chicago Dramatists and will always remember the production. ”
  • Amicable by Ross Compton
    9 May. 2020
    “ I was fortunate enough to see this play produced and found it to be at once charming and profound. There's so much to discuss afterwards about the moments and lives that have touched your own both positively and negatively; so many wasted opportunities to rectify wrongs or say what we mean... I find myself wishing I could be on this train with my own ensemble of characters. ”
  • Warped by Barbara Lhota
    22 Feb. 2020
    “ This is my favorite of Barbara Lhota's plays. I was fortunate enough to be in a production of it in 2013, but the importance of this story has sadly only increased since then. Conversations about police brutality, the #metoo movement, and the terrifying way truth shifts with power, make this play painfully timely. There has never been a better time to program "Warped" into a season. ”
  • Echo by Barbara Lhota
    22 Feb. 2020
    “ This play is a beautiful story about the challenges of having an autistic family member, the lengths we go through to communicate with one another, and the tragic way even the most solid bonds can shatter in an instant. I was involved in a few readings early in its development, but this play has come so far. The fact it has not been produced speaks to the under-represented community of those affected by autism. These stories deserve to be told. ”
  • The Benefit Committee by Aline Lathrop
    22 Feb. 2020
    “ Written in real time, The Benefit Committee examines the way women interact with one another in groups where their only common interest is their own children. Unspoken alliances, subtle shifts in power, passive aggressive barbs slowly give way to darker themes under the surface and the power of That Which We Do Not Discuss. Such natural dialogue, beautifully layered characters, and a slowly unraveling mystery makes this play really come to life when read aloud. ”
  • ...And Eat It Too by Aline Lathrop
    22 Feb. 2020
    “ This is probably my favorite play Aline has written. It is an important piece about the challenges of balancing one's own sense of motherhood, career, and marriage with society's expectations. As a reader who is not a mother, I found a lot to connect to regarding gender roles, community, and the surprising way aging can change our own sense of priorities. ”