Recommended by Daniela Gonzalez y Perez

  •

    A raw, honest, thought-provoking exploration on body image, "machismo", what it means to be a man, and family. Experiencing this show during the FRIGID Festival, as each bite becomes heavier and the weight of the world begins to suffocate him, brought me to tears. Anyone who’s felt uncomfortable in their body, identity, and have succumb to or witnessed depression can relate. In "AS I EAT THE WORLD", the weight of the world is in this man's stomach as he struggles to stay alive and Herrera begs the question-how do you prove to yourself that you’re worth it?

    A raw, honest, thought-provoking exploration on body image, "machismo", what it means to be a man, and family. Experiencing this show during the FRIGID Festival, as each bite becomes heavier and the weight of the world begins to suffocate him, brought me to tears. Anyone who’s felt uncomfortable in their body, identity, and have succumb to or witnessed depression can relate. In "AS I EAT THE WORLD", the weight of the world is in this man's stomach as he struggles to stay alive and Herrera begs the question-how do you prove to yourself that you’re worth it?

  •

    An epic. Timeless. Captivating language interwoven with intense intimate relationships, this world doesn’t ask you to pay attention, it demands it. A beautiful investigation of royalty, power dynamics, black queer experiences, lineage, and ancestry. Never have I been excited for a third act, until this play. After seeing a reading of it last year, presented by the Civilians’ R&D Group, it’s clear that Burke has created an unforgettable universe that not only deserves to be felt, but studied and celebrated.

    An epic. Timeless. Captivating language interwoven with intense intimate relationships, this world doesn’t ask you to pay attention, it demands it. A beautiful investigation of royalty, power dynamics, black queer experiences, lineage, and ancestry. Never have I been excited for a third act, until this play. After seeing a reading of it last year, presented by the Civilians’ R&D Group, it’s clear that Burke has created an unforgettable universe that not only deserves to be felt, but studied and celebrated.

  •

    Captivating, dangerously hilarious, and the ice cream birthday cake with confetti you didn’t know you needed. The funniest AND one of the best plays I’ve ever read. I cannot wait until it takes the world by storm, from colleges to the mainstage, to outside forests with birds and bugs singing to its tune (get out your insect repellant). Painfully relatable. The writing a breath of fresh air. In “The Jersey Devil is a Papi Chulo”, Reilly creates an incredible range of Latinx women and two blankitito dude-bros in an important social commentary mixed with heart, growth, y adobo.

    Captivating, dangerously hilarious, and the ice cream birthday cake with confetti you didn’t know you needed. The funniest AND one of the best plays I’ve ever read. I cannot wait until it takes the world by storm, from colleges to the mainstage, to outside forests with birds and bugs singing to its tune (get out your insect repellant). Painfully relatable. The writing a breath of fresh air. In “The Jersey Devil is a Papi Chulo”, Reilly creates an incredible range of Latinx women and two blankitito dude-bros in an important social commentary mixed with heart, growth, y adobo.

  •

    Perfect play for ehSpooky (and any other spiritual) season! I read this alone, in an AirBnb, in the woods, in the dark, during the “Witching Hour” (highly recommend). Suspense mixed with humor that’ll have you worried one moment and chuckling the next. Embarking on this journey with these valiant women of color invites us to have a new perspective on the worlds or dimensions that are usually hidden from us, that only the gifted can see. “A Skeptic and a Bruja” is a heart racing journey about family, friendship, the spiritual world, and working together to find peace.

    Perfect play for ehSpooky (and any other spiritual) season! I read this alone, in an AirBnb, in the woods, in the dark, during the “Witching Hour” (highly recommend). Suspense mixed with humor that’ll have you worried one moment and chuckling the next. Embarking on this journey with these valiant women of color invites us to have a new perspective on the worlds or dimensions that are usually hidden from us, that only the gifted can see. “A Skeptic and a Bruja” is a heart racing journey about family, friendship, the spiritual world, and working together to find peace.

  •

    An instant classic. The play(wright) all actors should be gifted when being introduced to Neil Simon and Arthur Miller. A journey of non-stop action and discovery from start to finish. Brought tears to my eyes because it was the first time feeling so culturally seen and represented in this Puerto Rican family and its complexities. This should be produced at every theater and university. Various ages, sexualities, and diasporas are represented as it contains universal themes exploring family, heart, grief, The American Dream, and resistance to change. "World Classic" is a piece of what American...

    An instant classic. The play(wright) all actors should be gifted when being introduced to Neil Simon and Arthur Miller. A journey of non-stop action and discovery from start to finish. Brought tears to my eyes because it was the first time feeling so culturally seen and represented in this Puerto Rican family and its complexities. This should be produced at every theater and university. Various ages, sexualities, and diasporas are represented as it contains universal themes exploring family, heart, grief, The American Dream, and resistance to change. "World Classic" is a piece of what American theater has been missing.

    read more
  • Daniela Gonzalez y Perez: Even Flowers Bloom in Hell, Sometimes by Franky D. Gonzalez
    “

    Compelling. An experience that begins before you get into your seat and continues when you leave it. An observation and exploration of the oppressive systems put in place, that are presented to us as rehabilitation, but are a disguise for our demise. Franky Gonzalez's "Even Flowers Bloom in Hell, Sometimes" is a beautifully written play with heart, strength, wonder, discovery, and heartbreak, as it takes us on this journey that many lives have gone through, still go through, and that some don't want us to see. A piece that not only motivates change within the system, but within ourselves.

    Compelling. An experience that begins before you get into your seat and continues when you leave it. An observation and exploration of the oppressive systems put in place, that are presented to us as rehabilitation, but are a disguise for our demise. Franky Gonzalez's "Even Flowers Bloom in Hell, Sometimes" is a beautifully written play with heart, strength, wonder, discovery, and heartbreak, as it takes us on this journey that many lives have gone through, still go through, and that some don't want us to see. A piece that not only motivates change within the system, but within ourselves.

    ”