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John Patrick Bray

Recommended by John Patrick Bray

  • The Remarkably Unremarkable Crucifixion of Emma Reynolds by Daniel Prillaman
    2 Apr. 2023
    “ I am sitting here, reading this monologue on Palm Sunday. I saw a play earlier this week where a man, telling his life story, said that he has found a way to remain awake while going under anesthesia; he can now feel the drug working and can catch the second before he goes under. He will do the same right before he dies. It unnerved me. Prillaman is doing something similar here. He's catching a moment. An awful moment. And just letting it hang there. Suspended. While life continues all around you. ”
  • The Get-Together by Daniel Prillaman
    2 Apr. 2023
    “ Atmospheric. Mysterious. The Get-Together crawls under your skin and stays there. Lives there. This play relies so much on sound in the best possible way. I wish there were a way to watch it with headphones on to truly feel the effect; HP Lovecraft channeled through William Castle. Truly glorious! ”
  • His Girl Watson: A Sherlock Noir by Kevin Cirone
    12 Mar. 2023
    “ I am a Holmes enthusiast (maybe a snob?), and *this* is a play that begs to be produced! A love letter to the Canon and various adaptations (Elementary, Laurie King, the Rathbone/Bruce series - there is even a Woman in Green!), Cirone has pulled off a hat trick: His Girl Watson is a wonderful pastiche that manages to bring something fresh, something new to the world of Holmes, with crackling dialogue, rich characters, excellent world building, and a mystery worthy of the Master Detective. The last pages are emotionally rich and well-earned. Someone please produce this play! ”
  • Where The Lost Children Play by Hannah Lee DeFrates
    25 Feb. 2023
    “ When we're young we have a sacred space - free from the rules of our society, free from notions of order and contagion - where we can build worlds with our minds and allegiances with our hearts. We meet a group that has a sacred space in a stairwell. It is their Neverland (Willowhaven). Outside this space is heavy, dangerous, mysterious; and so heartbreakingly real. Hannah Lee DeFrates gives us new vocabulary to consider war, casualties, fascism, magic, and hope - hope above all. This is a very moving play with rich, nuanced characters and strong world building. Perfect. ”
  • I Have No Words by Christopher Plumridge
    15 Feb. 2023
    “ This is not only an important play, but also an important real-life document depicting the human condition in a straight-forward, non-melodramatic way during a time of war. What Plumridge has done as playwright is act as a journalist, a documentarian, and the result is captivating. What makes this piece even more heartbreaking is the fact that here we are one year later and there is no end in sight. I encourage all to read this monologue which gives insight and humanity to the victims of war. ”
  • The Isle of Lizzbo: A VERY SHORT Jukebox Musical Based on the Music of Our Queen Mother… Lizzo by Debra A. Cole
    11 Feb. 2023
    “ I had a wonderful time reading this short, empowering musical. Lizzo would bless the project I’m sure! ”
  • Brompton's Truth by Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn
    2 Feb. 2023
    “ Lovely. You can bring them home but you can’t keep them. I grew up with dogs and currently have cats. It feels like an even trade: tomorrow’s grief for today’s joy. But the secret is, with time, you understand that the joy remains. And that makes it more than even. ”
  • Divided Requiem (One Act) by Paul Donnelly
    1 Feb. 2023
    “ Can a couple can survive the death of their child? Gerald cannot bring himself to pack up his son's room. Max needs the room cleared out so he can start to heal. Each has nuanced needs; we understand why one would want to pack up, and why the other would desire to keep things as they are. Is the room a shrine to the dead - or is it a way of keeping the lost child close? Paul Donnelly's DIVIDED REQUIEM is a rich meditation on different ways to grieve, giving us characters to root for even in impossible circumstances. ”
  • Spooky U Chronicles: Extra Credit by Christopher Soucy
    1 Feb. 2023
    “ When I was in my early 20s, I had a friend who always said he and I would take over the world. One day, we were joined by another friend who, upon hearing the declaration asked,"but what would we do with it?" It killed conversation. Plans were ruined. Watching these young cultists trying to figure out what it is they want - connection to the primordial world, the smiting of an ex (but not too much smiting), a car? - is hilarious and resonates in an odd way. But I think they're all in a lot of trouble. ”
  • Pride and Prejudice: A Play with Music from Jane Austen's Songbooks by Nora Louise Syran
    17 Jan. 2023
    “ I adore Jane Austen and have seen or read a number of adaptations and this one by the incredibly talented Nora Louise Syran ranks among the best! It is faithful spirit of Austen (retaining much of her text), with songs and music that not only fit seamlessly into the world of story but move the plot forward. In short, *this* is the adaptation of Pride and Prejudice I yearn to see staged! ”

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