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Sam Heyman

Recommended by Sam Heyman

  • Spooky U: Dormmates by Christopher Soucy
    5 Oct. 2023
    “ What an intro to Christopher Soucy's take on Miskatonic University!

    There's something about this school and its dark magnetism that keeps people coming back, even if most don't make it to graduation... I'm excited to see where Soucy will take these characters, and his readers! ”
  • A Good Year by Philip Middleton Williams
    5 Oct. 2023
    “ Philip Middleton Williams has a remarkable knack for taking what could be a pulpy, melodramatic premise and imbuing it with just the right combination of humanity, humor, and heart. “A Good Year” bounces between every gay teacher’s nightmare and every gay man’s wet dream, but along the way, Williams demonstrates his well honed gifts at writing relationships, both between new acquaintances and former lovers. There’s a lot to admire in Williams’ characters as well, as each of the four roles gives their respective actor great material to work with. Excellent! ”
  • Pilloried by Jillian Blevins
    4 Oct. 2023
    “ "Pilloried" has more than its share of world-worn wisdom to impart, and it does so in a way that is utterly disarming. This hilarious, historical two-hander from Jillian Blevins sees its protagonists awaiting humiliation at the hands of the public, while finding a way to turn the very nature of the pillory-punishment on its head -- or maybe knock it on its arse. Clever, thoughtful, and a treat for designers everywhere. ”
  • Recommendation by Jillian Blevins
    4 Oct. 2023
    “ Revenge stories are often cathartic outlets for readers, writers, and audiences alike -- but Jillian Blevins has crafted something much thornier and compelling by robbing both sides of "Recommendation"'s philosophical debate of what turns out to be something essential: a certainty that they are in the right. This play is filled with setups, payoffs and enough double-edged knife twists to ensure audiences will be thinking and feeling about this piece for a long time. ”
  • Crisis Exercise by Jillian Blevins
    4 Oct. 2023
    “ "Crisis Exercise" is an intimate time lapse of a generation being destroyed. The play captures both the delicate nature of boyhood and the unkindness and bitterness that is bound to arise as a culture of violence burrows into the hearts of children. What is most striking about Blevins' writing is how it portrays not just the numbness school-age youth are trained to feel, but the underlying panic and fear that hides beneath that numb facade. A chilling, heartbreaking play. ”
  • Pit by Daniel Prillaman
    15 Sep. 2023
    “ The more I think about PIT, the more I am in awe of Daniel Prillaman’s ability to hold the terrible and terrifying truths of his play’s premise just out of reach until the play’s final moments.

    Absurd, dark, and satisfyingly cyclical, PIT places its characters in a literal pit of despair, but the humor of the script and its various character dynamics prevent it from becoming too depressing. Sometimes a good day is hunting for rocks and getting your favorite flavor of toaster pastry. Sometimes, you can’t avoid getting shit on your shoes. Excellent, clever work. ”
  • Hot Blood Sundae by Aly Kantor
    11 Sep. 2023
    “ When family, romantic partners, and society encourage you to starve and shrink yourself, it's only a matter of time before your desires demand to be unleashed. With HOT BLOOD SUNDAE, Aly Kantor captures, with deliciously escalatory fervor, the at times insatiable hunger that afflicts not just beasts of the night but the women at the play's juicy center. Audiences will shriek and howl with laughter -- and they might be left with cravings they can no longer ignore... Fantastic! ”
  • Punch Bowl (Bascom & Isaac #1) by Scott Sickles
    29 Aug. 2023
    “ There's nothing quite as heartening as awkward flirtation that manages to go over so well. Scott Sickles has countless lovely pairings in his dramatic canon, but Bascom and Isaac of PUNCH BOWL make names for themselves with their specificity and charming tendency to over-share. I appreciate the craft that went into this play, from its character breakdown to its very last stage direction. If you're looking for neurodivergent rom-coms, this is a wonderful place to start. ”
  • Monarchs by Danielle Frimer
    7 Aug. 2023
    “ I had the honor of being cast in a reading of Monarchs at the Valdez Theatre Conference, and I am in as much awe of it now as I was then. Full of culturally specific humor and heartbreak, Monarchs deftly balances the experimental with the familiar, weaving an epic and intimate tale across time and space. You will laugh, you will cry, and you may feel an overwhelming need to call your parents. Kudos to Danielle Frimer for creating this powerful, transcendent play! ”
  • a marriage is a story we tell and keep telling by Danielle Frimer
    6 Aug. 2023
    “ There is a lovely intimacy and specificity to this play that enables Danielle Frimer's characters to leap off the page -- and even walk down the aisle of the theatre venue! Capturing the anxieties and specifically queer baggage surrounding weddings with trademark humor and heart, Frimer's "a marriage is a story we tell and keep telling" is a gorgeous, meta-theatrical treat. If you have a chance to see a reading or performance of this play, save the date! ”

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