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Maximillian Gill

Recommended by Maximillian Gill

  • Just Try! by David Hilder
    19 Apr. 2024
    “ Hilder's dazzling play pulls liberally from the tropes and settings of Kafka's works, but it creates an absurdist, existential landscape all its own. The pace is consistently brisk, taking us through scenes and setting changes that have the feel of early cinema. The dialogue displays a wit grounded in Kafkaesque origins but modernized. Alienation and dislocation follow our protagonist, and I feel the slow dismantling of his sense of self even as I'm reveling in the sharp dialogue and hilarious hijinks. Stunning work. ”
  • Double Helix by Vince Gatton
    8 Apr. 2024
    “ This play is a deeply thoughtful piece of art that brings in more concepts and ideas than any 90-minute work should be able to encompass, but Gatton's approach is so masterful that everything is seamlessly integrated and woven. It also moves at a brisk pace. The dialogue is sharp and the characters consistently engaging. And I love a work that brings up big mysteries but is able to respect the rich philosophies behind the underlying ideas and leave key threads unresolved. It's a brave move that forces the reader to really think about the piece. Astonishing, I'm still reeling! ”
  • crisis by Christian Flynn
    14 Mar. 2024
    “ I'm astonished by how deftly Flynn combines the tropes of the gritty thriller with an achingly beautiful character piece. The title refers to a quote that could serve as a central metaphor, except that it's undercut within the play, which feels like a meta-metaphor for the play itself as all of the things that the characters think they care about slowly fall away until we are left with an arresting final image. I love that Flynn includes references to the very works the play pays homage to. It's all here, but so is the desperate poignancy of human need. ”
  • IMPRESSIONS OF PARIS by Nora Louise Syran
    18 Feb. 2024
    “ The writer's ability to present a large ensemble cast and keep every character distinct and fully realized is simply astonishing. The dialogue makes them so lived-in that one quickly forgets that these are historical figures and simply follows them and their journeys in a time of creative ferment in the art world. Centering everything is Valadon's story, a compelling through-line character whose hopes and ambitions become our own. The word-painting is also compelling as Paris comes alive through dialogue and song. A truly impressive achievement. ”
  • GULF (working title) by Miranda Jonté
    12 Feb. 2024
    “ This compact piece deftly captures the anxiety and hopefulness of one of those existential moments that we all face periodically. The monologue is grounded in details that make the moment of decision and the character come alive and offer real emotional stakes, yet it still resonates with universal qualities, the standing on the precipice of indecision staring down into a vortex of possibilities. Remarkable. ”
  • In the Name of Love (ten-minute play) by Enid Cokinos
    10 Feb. 2024
    “ A lovely short piece that brings in a number of interesting family dynamics without ever feeling overstuffed and ends on hopeful notes of understanding and renewing our commitments to those we love. ”
  • altitude by Daniel Prillaman
    29 Jan. 2024
    “ My "I know where this is going" indicator tends to come on a lot when I read plays. It flashed a few times during this play. It was wrong every single time. Prillaman's piece consistently went in unexpected directions, but I always felt like everything was being guided by an assured hand with a greater and utterly unique vision that only became completely clear once I finished reading. That's the kind of work that thrills me, and here it is. Also, I dearly hope I will someday be able to use the phrase "au contraire, mon fur." Love it! ”
  • Denier by Tom Moran
    24 Dec. 2023
    “ Another testament that fiction need not play fast and loose with facts and science to work as absorbing drama. Moran immerses us in the wholly believable world of scientific academia, peer review, and the relentless pursuit of limited funding. Within this world the writer gives us an all-too plausible story of characters trying to make meaningful, ethical choices in a landscape that rewards compromise and taking the easy way out. The science is explained deftly, in such a way that we never feel talked down to. Some of my favorite moments involve the protagonist speaking to an inanimate object! ”
  • Zeph and Violet: A Race Romance by Krystle Adams
    21 Dec. 2023
    “ Love is complicated, and so are race relations. Putting the two together in a way that fully explores the various complexities and still arrives at a meaningful resolution is a formidable task, but Adams has succeeded masterfully with this tightly constructed two-hander. Zeph and Violet are both wholly original creations, and the writer skillfully captures them at two very different times in their lives. Exploring two versions of a crucial night is a fascinating device, one which has ramifications that sit with the reader long after the play's close. The humor crackles and infuses the piece with joy. Wonderful work. ”
  • /ärt/ by Steven G. Martin
    3 Dec. 2023
    “ I'm very late to the party for giving this play the appreciation it so richly deserves. Full of wonderful skewering satire on the pretensions of art gatekeepers. The hilarity hits a whole other level when the two finalists enter. Ripe roles for actors to go broad with their comedic chops and kill the room (as occurred at the production I saw). ”

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