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John Patrick Bray

Recommended by John Patrick Bray

  • All Things Bright by Jill Maynard
    17 Aug. 2020
    “ All Things Bright moves back and forth in time between 2008 and 2016, demonstrating the concerns of a small, middle-class, Republican-voting family as they deal with external crises (such as the bank bailout), and internal crises (drug abuse, family members dealing to family members, deteriorating health, etc.). These crises (personal and political) exist side-by-side, allowing the reader to see how the one has a deep impact on the other; thanks to the talent and care of Jill Maynard the piece never falls into a kind of "writer editorializing" or melodrama. This is an excellent example of 21st Century Domestic Realism. ”
  • A-R by Daphne Mintz
    9 Nov. 2019
    “ The bleak future presented in this play feels very present given our political climate and the overwhelming feeling that there is no end in sight. I would love to see this produced in an evening with Rachel Carnes’s “Egg and Spoon.” ”
  • And Know They Love You by Daphne Mintz
    9 Nov. 2019
    “ This piece turns the old PSA on its head: children who use drugs have parents that use drugs. The set-up is familiar: parents raided their returned-to-home daughter’s room and found her works. However, how they handle the problem, to better understand what she is going through, is both hilarious and heart-breaking. I highly recommend reading this play - I would love to see it produced. ”
  • The Rapping by Eytan Deray
    9 Oct. 2019
    “ I am a huge fan of 1950s/1960s, B-movie horror: Roger Corman kind of stuff (Bucket of Blood in particular), I Was a Teenage Werewolf, etc. This play follows the teen-horror genre so nicely, and it's an absolute joy that someone has been able to write a work like this for the stage! I would love to experience it live - I highly recommend any theatre company that produces an evening of horror to add this play to their program. ”
  • Inevitable by Bethany Dickens
    4 Oct. 2019
    “ I love all of the possibilities for staging with this play - where I teach, we have a Dramatic Media area of emphasis, and so much could be done with video walls, holograms, etc. But truthfully, the play would stand well without the addition of media, as evidenced by the sensational reading at the Midwest Dramatists Conference. This play is so much fun, and I very much feel like Bethany was inside my twenty-five year old head while writing it! ”
  • Whisper into the Ground by Olivia Haller
    4 Oct. 2019
    “ I love theatre that remembers to be theatrical, embracing the artifice without sacrificing emotional truth. Haller's play is gorgeous and haunting. Furthermore, Haller does not judge her characters; she allows them to find forgiveness, even when their sins weight heavy. ”
  • VALERIE: A COSPLAY MONOLOGUE by Asher Wyndham
    4 Oct. 2019
    “ I was fortunate enough to see this monologue performed at the Midwest Dramatists Conference. It was absolutely haunting (expertly performed by Alice Pollack). Someone else called it a visceral experience, and they are one-hundred percent correct. Highly recommended! ”
  • Turtles and Bulldogs by Scott Sickles
    6 Feb. 2019
    “ Full disclosure: I co-edited an anthology for Applause and selected this play for inclusion. Something I love about Sickles's writing is his ability to give us a slice of life, warts and all, without imposing judgement. It would be easy to judge a bully for their deeds. Sickles doesn't. Rather, Sickles allows for growth, and presents a nuanced understanding of youth and those moments we were at our worst (and oh, those missed opportunities) from the other end of the telescope. A wonderful play for festivals and just for the joy of reading. ”
  • Lucinda's Bed by Mia McCullough
    13 Oct. 2018
    “ McCullough has a real gift for blending Realism with the Magic, allowing for humor without falling into sentimentality. Some of the moments in the play will feel *too real* and the magical elements, rather than taking us out of those moments of discomfort, plunges us deeper in, submerging us in the sexual-psychology of the characters in a way that forces us to examine our own without letting us off the hook. I highly recommend this play. ”
  • Attic by Daniel Guyton
    20 Sep. 2018
    “ ATTIC is a blend between Symbolism and Realism. It's hauntingly theatrical view of recovery and remorse. There's a feeling that we need to pack some part of ourselves away in a box, with old toys, spiders on the walls, and the hope that our daily rituals will clear the cobwebs from our minds while keeping those parts of us that may be deemed dangerous hidden from view, buried in a room we rarely visit. Guyton's atmospheric one-act play is perfect for colleges and theatres looking to produce one-act plays with style and considerable substance. ”