Recommended by Brian James Polak

  • Brian James Polak: Cambodian Rock Band

    This is one of the best new plays I've encountered in a very long time. It's powerful, funny, theatrical, and full of excellent music. I hope this play gets produced all over the world.

    This is one of the best new plays I've encountered in a very long time. It's powerful, funny, theatrical, and full of excellent music. I hope this play gets produced all over the world.

  • Brian James Polak: Black Super Hero Magic Mama

    Joining the chorus of praise for this fantastic play. This is an important piece of drama written in a thrilling and theatrical style. I can't wait to see it on stages across the country.

    Joining the chorus of praise for this fantastic play. This is an important piece of drama written in a thrilling and theatrical style. I can't wait to see it on stages across the country.

  • Brian James Polak: Magnetic North

    When I first started writing, Dan's plays were amongst the group of new works I would read and find an immense excitement about the craft. His plays helped motivate me to be a playwright. There is a wonderful poetic sparseness to his pages, requiring a deeper engagement from the reader and "Magnetic North" is no exception. It tells a story we've read before, but with a beautiful depth and sincerity often missing from stories about relationships. This play is humorous, emotional, intimate, and deeply identifiable.

    When I first started writing, Dan's plays were amongst the group of new works I would read and find an immense excitement about the craft. His plays helped motivate me to be a playwright. There is a wonderful poetic sparseness to his pages, requiring a deeper engagement from the reader and "Magnetic North" is no exception. It tells a story we've read before, but with a beautiful depth and sincerity often missing from stories about relationships. This play is humorous, emotional, intimate, and deeply identifiable.

  • Brian James Polak: COLLECTIVE RAGE: A PLAY IN 5 BETTIES;IN ESSENCE A QUEER & OCCASIONALLY HAZARDOUS EXPLORATION; DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND YOU READ ABOUT SHACKLETON & HOW HE EXPLORED THE ARCTIC?;IMAGINE THE ARCTIC AS A PUSSY & IT’S SORT OF LIKE THAT

    This play is brilliant, hilarious, and absolutely necessary.

    This play is brilliant, hilarious, and absolutely necessary.

  • Brian James Polak: The Two Kids That Blow Shit Up

    This play deftly dramatizes the complexities of friendship, family, and love. The fractured narrative structure echoes the the broken-repaired-broken again relationship between these two characters who look outside for the thing they need, which can actually be found right in front of them. This two-hander shines greatly in the hands of actors with the depth and finesse to portray a complete human experience.

    This play deftly dramatizes the complexities of friendship, family, and love. The fractured narrative structure echoes the the broken-repaired-broken again relationship between these two characters who look outside for the thing they need, which can actually be found right in front of them. This two-hander shines greatly in the hands of actors with the depth and finesse to portray a complete human experience.

  • Brian James Polak: The Super Variety Match Bonus Round!

    This is a beautiful, hilarious, and original play about overcoming grief and rediscovering yourself in the aftermath of tragic events. This play manages to be funny without losing heart, and touching without being syrupy. It is imaginative, theatrical, and fun.

    This is a beautiful, hilarious, and original play about overcoming grief and rediscovering yourself in the aftermath of tragic events. This play manages to be funny without losing heart, and touching without being syrupy. It is imaginative, theatrical, and fun.

  • Brian James Polak: THE MADRES

    This is a gorgeous and powerful and touching and surprising work. It's a play that draws you forward and never lets you get ahead of it. I love plays, like The Madres, that writes about an important piece of history from a micro point-of-view. Stephanie takes us inside the home of people touched by the brutality of Argentina in the late 70s. It's an excellent play.

    This is a gorgeous and powerful and touching and surprising work. It's a play that draws you forward and never lets you get ahead of it. I love plays, like The Madres, that writes about an important piece of history from a micro point-of-view. Stephanie takes us inside the home of people touched by the brutality of Argentina in the late 70s. It's an excellent play.

  • Brian James Polak: Se Llama Cristina

    I love this play. It's beautiful and poetic with humor that wonderfully surprising. It's a dark world the two main characters inhibit, but I love existing in the space with them, watching them try and put their lives together, literally and metaphorically.

    I love this play. It's beautiful and poetic with humor that wonderfully surprising. It's a dark world the two main characters inhibit, but I love existing in the space with them, watching them try and put their lives together, literally and metaphorically.

  • Brian James Polak: The Gun Show

    Brave, imaginative, and yet beautifully simply. This deeply personal work about guns is no polemic. It's a story about the complicated relationships people have with guns, and exposes the audience to a point of view it has likely never experienced on the subject. It's a wonderful work that should be required reading for all Americans.

    Brave, imaginative, and yet beautifully simply. This deeply personal work about guns is no polemic. It's a story about the complicated relationships people have with guns, and exposes the audience to a point of view it has likely never experienced on the subject. It's a wonderful work that should be required reading for all Americans.

  • Brian James Polak: Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea

    "Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea" is simply a beautiful piece of work. Read this play, attend this play, produce this play... do whatever you can to get into the same room with it. Nathan has a beautiful knack for toggling between the natural and the poetic, and he uses that skill perfectly to tell the story of a young man on the verge of adulthood who is searching for a long lost ancestor.

    "Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea" is simply a beautiful piece of work. Read this play, attend this play, produce this play... do whatever you can to get into the same room with it. Nathan has a beautiful knack for toggling between the natural and the poetic, and he uses that skill perfectly to tell the story of a young man on the verge of adulthood who is searching for a long lost ancestor.