Recommended by Alli Hartley-Kong

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    This was a very interesting play with real, three-dimensional characters and an intriguing family setting. It's a very brave play that centers the experiences of a queer daughter, and the play's structure (especially during the second act) holds you throughout. I'm excited to read more plays by Olivia Luzquinos.

    This was a very interesting play with real, three-dimensional characters and an intriguing family setting. It's a very brave play that centers the experiences of a queer daughter, and the play's structure (especially during the second act) holds you throughout. I'm excited to read more plays by Olivia Luzquinos.

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    This fun play little play left the audience wanting more! In this play, Scott copes with the trauma of the pandemic by developing a new "fun" hobby--but it's one that jeopardizes his relationship with his long-term partner Helene. This play offers big and wonderful challenges to comedic actors, especially the one playing the dummy!

    This fun play little play left the audience wanting more! In this play, Scott copes with the trauma of the pandemic by developing a new "fun" hobby--but it's one that jeopardizes his relationship with his long-term partner Helene. This play offers big and wonderful challenges to comedic actors, especially the one playing the dummy!

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    The stakes could not be higher in this explosive dramedy by the talented Marshall Logan Gibbs! I had the immense privilege of facilitating a talkback for an early draft of this play through DMV Playwrights, and I am blown away by the playwrights' mastery of structure. The play is plotted so that it unfolds perfectly, leaving you in suspense, and the ending simply lands. Every character is well-developed, and you will find yourself on the edge of your seat, wondering what will blow open next.

    The stakes could not be higher in this explosive dramedy by the talented Marshall Logan Gibbs! I had the immense privilege of facilitating a talkback for an early draft of this play through DMV Playwrights, and I am blown away by the playwrights' mastery of structure. The play is plotted so that it unfolds perfectly, leaving you in suspense, and the ending simply lands. Every character is well-developed, and you will find yourself on the edge of your seat, wondering what will blow open next.

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    MORE OF A HEART was a beautiful and complex play. The playwright explores topics such as representing of neurodiverse people, family relations, terminal illness, and authenticity and voice in a way that feels fully human and fully theatrical. There are no "bad guys" in these plays thanks to the deft work of the playwright in showing the motivations of mothers who do what they think is best but still fail their sons. I think I will be thinking about this play for a long time.

    MORE OF A HEART was a beautiful and complex play. The playwright explores topics such as representing of neurodiverse people, family relations, terminal illness, and authenticity and voice in a way that feels fully human and fully theatrical. There are no "bad guys" in these plays thanks to the deft work of the playwright in showing the motivations of mothers who do what they think is best but still fail their sons. I think I will be thinking about this play for a long time.

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    Stauffer's WOMAN'S WORK is a one-act play that is expansive in its scope. In this play, two strong-willed woman who have made it in the patriarchal art world clash in their views of feminism, women's work, and the eternal endurance of art. It's a brave, bold piece that covers expansive ground within the structure of a one-act.

    Stauffer's WOMAN'S WORK is a one-act play that is expansive in its scope. In this play, two strong-willed woman who have made it in the patriarchal art world clash in their views of feminism, women's work, and the eternal endurance of art. It's a brave, bold piece that covers expansive ground within the structure of a one-act.

  • Alli Hartley-Kong: How About Them Dodgers by Philip Middleton Williams
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    I had the opportunity to see a reading of this play at the Midwest Dramatists Conference and both enjoyed the performance immensely while also groaning about how relevant it is (no knowledge of baseball required!). The scenario set up by this play is timeless beyond this particular political moment.

    I had the opportunity to see a reading of this play at the Midwest Dramatists Conference and both enjoyed the performance immensely while also groaning about how relevant it is (no knowledge of baseball required!). The scenario set up by this play is timeless beyond this particular political moment.

    ”
  • Alli Hartley-Kong: Mnemorian by Annie Considine
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    "Did she leave? The woman who was sitting next to me."

    From that moment, I was brought into the engaging sci-fi world of this play. I'm so intrigued by the family, the concept, and the beautiful ways that gender plays a role in this piece. This play has great intergenerational opportunities for actors across the spectrum.

    "Did she leave? The woman who was sitting next to me."

    From that moment, I was brought into the engaging sci-fi world of this play. I'm so intrigued by the family, the concept, and the beautiful ways that gender plays a role in this piece. This play has great intergenerational opportunities for actors across the spectrum.

    ”
  • Alli Hartley-Kong: White Cotton, Black Light by Sam Heyman
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    This play made me laugh with its jokes and visual imagery (what fun to imagine using a black light on stage) then just as I'm laughing, it stabs my heart with the emotional themes related to trying to love others while not fully in love with who you are in your own skin. It's a sweet little play that will set off the smoke alarms for sure, and the deftness at which the playwright handles the material will truly make anyone feel seen.

    This play made me laugh with its jokes and visual imagery (what fun to imagine using a black light on stage) then just as I'm laughing, it stabs my heart with the emotional themes related to trying to love others while not fully in love with who you are in your own skin. It's a sweet little play that will set off the smoke alarms for sure, and the deftness at which the playwright handles the material will truly make anyone feel seen.

    ”
  • Alli Hartley-Kong: Ring Around the Rosary by Ward Kay
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    It's been a few days since I heard this play read at the Midwest Dramatists Conference, and I'm still chuckling every time I think of dumpster diving for Jesus. This sweet little play effectively uses humor to show a pivotal moment in a family and a relationship. Everyone wants to be accepted for who they are, and who they love; this play advocates this important story, but is cotton candy in the telling!

    It's been a few days since I heard this play read at the Midwest Dramatists Conference, and I'm still chuckling every time I think of dumpster diving for Jesus. This sweet little play effectively uses humor to show a pivotal moment in a family and a relationship. Everyone wants to be accepted for who they are, and who they love; this play advocates this important story, but is cotton candy in the telling!

    ”
  • Alli Hartley-Kong: Agape or; The Church Play by Agyeiwaa Asante
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    "I can’t be small. I can’t be. It can’t be what you want for me"

    I had the opportunity to see a reading of this play at the Round House Theatre in May, and this line has stuck with me ever since. The characters of this play are so real and so deeply expressive, and the playwright raises interesting and thoughtful questions about first generation Americans, faith-based friendships, and the relationship between organized religion and mental health. This play is well-done and important.

    "I can’t be small. I can’t be. It can’t be what you want for me"

    I had the opportunity to see a reading of this play at the Round House Theatre in May, and this line has stuck with me ever since. The characters of this play are so real and so deeply expressive, and the playwright raises interesting and thoughtful questions about first generation Americans, faith-based friendships, and the relationship between organized religion and mental health. This play is well-done and important.

    ”