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John Patrick Bray

Recommended by John Patrick Bray

  • Hold them Stunned by Rachel Feeny-Williams
    6 Mar. 2022
    “ Hold Them Stunned begins as a normal dinner party, but takes a turn into a sort of "Love Potion Number 9" tale. During a reading I had the pleasure of listening to, the one "scent" the men in attendance seemed to have an issue with was burned rubber...but "sports" and "porn" were fair game! (Ha!) I love Feeny-Williams's writing - she has such a strong command of dialogue and a gift for creating rich and vivid characters. ”
  • Don't Flip Your Snood by Rex McGregor
    6 Mar. 2022
    “ This is such a fun piece about a forgiven sinner who has an apology to make....and it's the same apology to a number of "hens." A really humorous piece - I would love to see this produced (in particular, I want to see the costumes!). ”
  • Hocking Murray by George Sapio
    6 Mar. 2022
    “ Is it possible to get revenge on someone once they have shuffled off this mortal coil? The answer is surprisingly yes, in George Sapio's funny and somewhat dark play Hocking Murray, which I had the pleasure of hearing as part of the Literary Discourse Society. I would love to see this play fully produced! ”
  • Wooden Snowflakes by Catherine Bush
    18 Feb. 2022
    “ Wooden Snowflakes is a soulful, charming, heart-warming Christmas tale of two wounded people trapped together trying to make the most of an evening, of a life! I saw this produced at Barter Theatre a handful of years ago, and it was gorgeous. This is a great two-hander for those who love their Realism with a dash of Christmas Magic. ”
  • The Sugar Ridge Rag by Philip Middleton Williams
    14 Feb. 2022
    “ Williams once again demonstrates his gift for Naturalism. The characters in this play perform a nuanced understanding of each other, resulting in a drama that is deceptively subtle and incredibly rich. I feel like I should mention that I’m a twin, and I feel like I should say whether Philip “got twins right.” I can’t answer that question: each set of twins share their own language and are co-archivists in a mostly shared autobiography (particularly in youth). I can say Williams got these particular twins absolutely right. I love this play and hope to see it produced. ”
  • The School Dance by Nora Louise Syran
    5 Feb. 2022
    “ Nora Louise Syran has woven together the collective memories of so many of us that have experienced the awkward h*ck that is a middle-school dance, but tinged it with the sweetness that we yearn for when we're too shy to peel ourselves off the wall. I adore this play and hope to see it fully staged, with all of its wonderful suggested choreography. ”
  • Welcome to Fourbucks by Philip Middleton Williams
    5 Feb. 2022
    “ I was a bagel baker for six and a half years. We had someone that worked with us, Annie, a truly funny and warm personality, who always brought me coffee while I was baking. And in the six years we worked together, she never got it right. Not once. Black. I drink black coffee. This one-minute play hit so close to home! Thank you, Philip! ”
  • The Unjust Sound of Unseen Waves by Scott Sickles
    4 Feb. 2022
    “ The Minotaur of Scott Sickles's play is not ugly, not an abomination (as they believe they are). Rather, they are beautiful in the eyes of a kind human who can see through illusion. This is a powerful story about kindness - kindness to others and kindness to ourselves (the Minotaur feels like a metaphor for body dysmorphia, and other forms of self-loathing). Sickles has a gift for creating richly-textured characters and gorgeous dialogue that is both real and beautifully poetic. This play presents fun opportunities for designers and performers, and audiences will be certainly be moved. ”
  • No More Tea? by Rachel Feeny-Williams
    12 Jan. 2022
    “ I listened to the Shouting in the Evening audio production of this play and it was an absolute riot! I knew some folks here in the States that have Strong Opinions about tea and coffee, and found that warm beverages served incorrectly served as a metonym for Everything Wrong with This Country. And I would be stuck leaving a hefty tip as an apology. This is a truly funny (and cringe inducing) play. Rachel Feeny-Williams has a gift for writing biting dialogue and creating richly drawn characters. ”
  • WE RIDE AT DAWN! (a monologue) by Scott Sickles
    9 Jan. 2022
    “ “Those M&Ms sealed your doom!”
    My wife has a story about how she was sent to bed as a child. About an hour later she got up and saw her parents and older brothers were enjoying ice cream from David’s Cookies. That’s when she knew: people partied when she went to bed!

    And so we have our heroine, a child who has been denied an anticipated show and snacks, because something as dreadful as 8:30PM has happened, and her parents have forced her to observe. This is a wonderful monologue! The invasive larvae were a nice touch. ”

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