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Brian James Polak

Recommended by Brian James Polak

  • The Vanishing Point by David Narter
    1 Jul. 2019
    “ Imagine if the lives we curate through social media came to life... yeah, it would be frightening and that is the world Dave Narter is showing is in The Vanishing Point. This play is scary in the way the best Twilight Zone episodes are scary. The writing is hilarious until you catch yourself asking “what if this was real?” Perfect for an ensemble (hey Chicago, Dave’s a local). ”
  • Mothers by Anna Ouyang Moench
    18 Jun. 2019
    “ Mothers imagines a near-future world wear parenthood is no less terrifying than today. It leaves you questioning how you would behave in these given circumstances and perhaps questioning (if you are a mother or parent) how you do behave now. This is a fantastically smart play that will leave remnants on your mind for days after. ”
  • Catherine Forever (the parasite) by Chris Vanderark
    10 Jun. 2019
    “ This play is a hilarious and surprisingly touching Millennial existential fever dream, and this Gen-Xer was cry-laughing throughout it. ”
  • Ideal House (PERMANENT PRODUCTION HIATUS, for reference only) by Cara Beth Heath
    29 May. 2019
    “ This play deftly dramatizes the pressures American society put on people to value the dollar and property as a symbols of success and achievement. The pressures on the Millennial generation are as severe today as they were on post-WWII generation when Death of a Salesman was written. Yet in "Ideal House" Cara Beth Heath gives agency to a character Arthur Miller left holding the bag at the end of his play. Heath suggests things have indeed changed, and a woman can exert control if life has become less than... ideal. Oh, and JK Rowling is always there for guidance. ”
  • The Persuadables by Hallie Palladino
    19 May. 2019
    “ We are living in a period of time dominated by massive amounts of information coming at us from every direction. This play synthesizes into a narrative the story behind an organization like Cambridge Analytica, which has allowed various groups to weaponize information. It is the story of a great idea coopted for nefarious deeds. "Disinformation" is a fantastic time capsule for this era of social media propaganda and an excellent way to engage audiences on an important issue. ”
  • Leftovers by Josh Wilder
    13 May. 2019
    “ Great play by a great person and playwright. I love the characters in the story and feel deeply for them. It's a fantastic and surreal play about growing up and all the joys and tragedies that can follow kids on the South side of Philly. ”
  • Rastus and Hattie by Lisa Langford
    6 May. 2019
    “ I saw a reading of this play at the NNPN showcase in December 2018. This play is so funny, emotional, and genius in the way it weaves a satirical narrative about the world of the past, present, and future. Rastus and Hattie are two of the most fascinating characters I have seen in a play in a very long time. ”
  • The Worst Mother in the World by Kari Bentley-Quinn
    26 Apr. 2019
    “ I saw "The Worst Mother in the World" produced by Halcyon in Chicago. This play shows the anxiety of parenthood in ways I've never seen before. It's rare that a play gets me feeling the feelings of the characters, but I felt unbelievably anxious for these mothers. Neither being a parent nor being a child is always easy, and in this play we get to see that yearning to be better, but feeling incapable of changing. Kari Bentley-Quinn shows us the complexity of real life and avoids any cliche trappings of parent/child relationships. It's a smart and powerful play. ”
  • RED BIKE by Caridad Svich
    16 Mar. 2019
    “ I love this play about the changing world around us and how those changes are experienced by a person at the intersection of childhood and adulthood. Caridad is a stage poet and Red Bike has a huge amount of heart and plenty of humor. Just like life, it is full of races down steep hills, confusion, joy, and wonder. ”
  • Minutes and Seconds by Chris Vanderark
    25 Jan. 2019
    “ What goes through your mind in the final moments of your life? Who do you want around as the world comes to an end? Minutes and Seconds takes us to an apocalyptic brink that is equal parts funny and bleak. I laughed a great deal... at moments because the writing was so on point, but also out of distress for thinking what I would say to the people I loved if I knew the end of the world was only moments away. Vanderark clearly has a knack for intertwining tension and humor in order to create this highly theatrical play. ”

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