←

Maximillian Gill

Recommended by Maximillian Gill

  • Talking Points by Steven Hayet
    30 Apr. 2023
    “ Hayet's short play subverts the expectations of the family-around-the-dinner-table genre in lots of subtle and wonderful ways. The banter is quick and witty and each character is firmly grounded in reality and in their specific quirks. I especially love how the writer deftly shifts the grandparents' reminiscences from humor to a startling poignancy that really stays with you. ”
  • Fridge by Jennifer O'Grady
    30 Apr. 2023
    “ I feel late to the party in appreciating this wonderful short play, but I was recently fortunate enough to see a live production and felt the need to add my recommendation to all of the highly deserved praise the piece has received. The humor is quick (and two repair people steal the show), but it also leaves a viewer/reader with the poignancy of connection and an acknowledgement of shared humanity (or whatever the equivalent word is for fridges). ”
  • Monsters Beyond the Midnight Zone by Lindsay Partain
    30 Apr. 2023
    “ A chilling play that really draws you into a claustrophobic place and situation. Partain is able to do more with words and a foreboding atmosphere than most horror movies are able to do with million-dollar budgets. ”
  • Come Again by Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend
    1 Jan. 2023
    “ This play had me from the description of the character known as Jesus! Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend has a real gift for presenting the most difficult political issues with humor. One gets so caught up in the characters and deft comic strokes that one ends up completely unprepared for the gut punch of reality. The laugh-out-loud lines riff on biblical lore in fresh ways, but at the core is a sweet relationship between Jesus and a reluctant prophet that grows and is fully realized. The use of radio reports as a chorus is an inspired touch. A play for our time. ”
  • Abort: The Mission by Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend
    28 Dec. 2022
    “ I can't recall the last time I found a play so uncomfortably funny, but I also can't think of a more appropriate response to a subject as topical and urgent as this one. The writer's ability to strike a perfect tonal balance between the horrific and the hilarious is astonishing. The approach is audacious but never irreverent, and the depth of concern for both the fictional and many real lives affected by the current political landscape is always at the forefront. The close is heartfelt and affecting and strikes a desperately needed note of hope. Wonderful work. ”
  • Petrified Forest by Hilary Bluestein-Lyons
    15 Oct. 2022
    “ Thoroughly charming short piece. Tabitha is a wonderful character, and her interactions with the couple keep you enjoyed. I loved the descriptions of the environment of the petrified forest, realistic and evocative. ”
  • Lou And Bud Kill Their Dad by Dan Taube
    15 Oct. 2022
    “ I'm simply astonished at the places this piece goes in just three short scenes. It never feels fragmented, rather it feels complete in the oddest and most elegant ways. There are elements of absurd comedy and brutal realism packed in here. It's a piece that really needs to be produced and engaged with. ”
  • the most brave girl in the whole wide world by John Mabey
    15 Oct. 2022
    “ The theological and philosophical questions at the heart of this short piece are fascinating. Like the best questions, they force us to reconfigure our views on sacrifice and how we derive meaning from parable and religious expression. More importantly, the philosophy is tied to personal human experiences and expressed through realistic dialogue between two characters who are fully rounded and realized. A compact piece that is going to stay with me. ”
  • THE MADNESS OF MEMORY (from the MAD FOR MYSTERY Collection) by Vivian Lermond
    15 Oct. 2022
    “ I am so impressed by how many directions Lermond is able to pull our emotions and sympathies within this short piece while still staying in a very real scene and avoiding melodrama. The depiction never fails to ring true, and we are forced at every stop to question Rosie's take on her past and present. The resolution is disquieting on many levels. Powerful short play. ”
  • Lost Sock Laundry by Ivan Faute
    27 Aug. 2022
    “ I love the location specificity of this piece. It could only take place in Astoria, Queens, yet it could take place anywhere in America. The characters are all richly detailed and the dialogue grounded and true to the variety of perspectives and stories. ”

Pages