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Franky D. Gonzalez

Recommended by Franky D. Gonzalez

  • FUEL by Caridad Svich
    20 Aug. 2018
    “ There is beauty in the language Svich employs through the pieces of the AMERICAN PSALM cycle. It is at once primitive and essential, as though trying to find the root dialect of the United States. Time will tell if Caridad Svich will be remembered as a great playwright or a chronicler-prophet who is reporting, in dramatic form, on the decaying pillars upon which America has prospered and now balances precariously, but those are for our succeeding generations to decide. For now, read FUEL. Experience Svich exposing our deepest flaws and, in exposure, discover our deepest wells of love and humanity. ”
  • A Monogamy of Swans by John Minigan
    19 Aug. 2018
    “ A play that subverts our expectations of how this conversation was supposed to go. A beautiful and heartwarming play that truly encapsulates the meaning of Love's patience in the face of searching for answers to questions of the self. And while the play is a heartwarming piece, and maybe even a tearjerker for the more easily moved (like me) this is a genuinely funny play with witty, fast-paced dialogue that would be as much at home in a tougher setting as it is in this tender two-hander with some fantastic roles for women. ”
  • Santa Doesn't Live Here Anymore by Patrick Gabridge
    19 Aug. 2018
    “ That Patrick Gabridge has revealed to me that Santa Claus may well be the largest conspiracy in American history alone made this play worth reading. A delightful and refreshing read on what usually is a tired trope in playwriting. Gabridge's SANTA DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE is like a roller coaster, it builds up and crescendos right into an insane ride that leaves you laughing and rushing through the pages to get to the next revelation. A perfect fit for a holiday-themed festival. ”
  • VERTICAL CONSTELLATION WITH BOMB by Gwydion Suilebhan
    19 Aug. 2018
    “ A humorous argument that leads to a sobering reflection on the value of our actions and efforts in the face of grief. Suilebhan doesn't let us soak in the sadness of the moment, however. Rather, we're invited to reflect and find new ways to cherish our loved ones and honor the memory of those long past. As these three unlikely characters come together for what could pass for a barroom joke (A nun, a sculptor, and a mother walk into a bar...) we are reminded of the unexpected support we receive from others sometimes. A fantastic, tender, and heartrending play. ”
  • Death Defying by Stephen Kaplan
    19 Aug. 2018
    “ Sartre declared in NO EXIT that "Hell is other people" and that may well be. Death Defying seems a response to that premise. Hell may be other people, but at the same time other people can be your salvation, even indirectly. Kaplan places us in a unique place that is both fantastical and mundane, where histories meet, and the memories we take with us to the hereafter are the only currency worth dealing in. and at the end of the play shows us the depth of human kindness in the face of less than stellar circumstances. A heartwarming play. ”
  • FREE, 25-MINUTE, 5-MILE RIDE by Rachael Carnes
    18 Aug. 2018
    “ A conversation that takes on supernatural dimensions and frightening prescience. Carnes goes back and forth using people talking about the things you'd expect a couple with a baby to talk about and a mysterious man who seems to observe, perhaps guide, people past the moment after a tragedy. This play is a puzzle and bears repeated readings. The description tells everything, and leaves you with questions. Are they protected? What came after? Definitely invokes reflection. ”
  • Blue by Emily Hageman
    18 Aug. 2018
    “ After all time has passed, the heroes and learners of history have only ever been these characters. How we choose to remember our loved ones in the face of their all-too-human imperfections is how myths and legends are created and how love expresses itself. It's not easy to find out that the titans of our lives are not what we made them to be, but Hageman is able to let her characters retain dignity in their flawed state. A tender play with a rhythm that reflects the arc of family histories and personal tragedies buried under stories of triumph. ”
  • Beautiful Noises by Scott Sickles
    17 Aug. 2018
    “ A tender and melancholic play that explores the grief, forgiveness, and the consequences we deal with in the face of loss and unspoken love. It's a wonderful play containing lifetimes of emotions within the pages. You'll be taken in and go on this journey and on the other side will be grateful to have read it. ”
  • Monsters Beyond the Midnight Zone by Lindsay Partain
    16 Aug. 2018
    “ This is one of those kinds of scripts that you want to see performed purely because the technical elements involved would make it must-see theatre. Beyond that however are the realistic moments two people share in the hour of crisis. The dialogue, the panic, the resolution, and all the elements are here to make a compelling play and a rewarding experience for everyone involved (audiences, actors, technicians, and directors alike) should it ever be produced. ”
  • Myrtis by Diana Burbano
    13 Aug. 2018
    “ A quiet reflection on life, the mystery of death, and the ultimate place of love in the face of life's misfortunes and tragedies. Bringing past and present together, imagining fantastic scenes and recalling sobering histories, Burbano invites us to a conversation that is at once very personal and "slice-of-life" yet global in its implication and thought process. A meditative piece, this is one of those plays that you'll find yourself contemplating for longer than it took you to read the script. Ultimately, that's the mark of a great play. Read it and take it all in. A wonderful play. ”

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