←

Jillian Blevins

Recommended by Jillian Blevins

  • altitude by Daniel Prillaman
    22 Sep. 2022
    “ Either Waiting for Godot on mushrooms, or Dude Where’s My Car by way of Ionesco (or both, or neither). The stoner comedy is a cinematic classic, and reading Prillaman’s trippy sci-fi adventure makes one wonder why theatre hasn’t taken advantage of the absurdity, the fun, and the surrealistic potential of the genre. Altitude’s stranded foursome (along with a few disembodied voices) meet existential crises with humor, depth, and alien drugs. ”
  • WHEN THEY SEE ME (ONE ACT VERSION) by Twinkle Burke
    16 Aug. 2022
    “ The magical-realist premise of Burke's play is an incisive combination of body-horror and the perils of whitewashing and respectability politics. This mother-son face-off explores an uncomfortable and perennial question: are oppressed people stronger when they remain connected to their cultural and familial history, or are they able to do more good if they distance themselves from their people and their past? I look forward to hearing more from Twinkle Burke's thoughtful and daring perspective. ”
  • The Second Annual Administration Building Takeover And Slumber Party by Ian Thal
    16 Aug. 2022
    “ I laughed out loud more than once reading Thal's deft and agile prose. His characters possess unique voices, brimming with literary/historical/philosophical allusions and irreverent humor which authentically capture the competitive cleverness unique to the verbal sparring of smart early-twenty-somethings.

    What I find most resonant is the play's exploration of nostalgia, and the mythology of self created from year to year and across the decades. Thal's young characters are working overtime to define their identities, while their older selves variously long for, criticize or reimagine who they once were. ”
  • What Love Must Be by Franky D. Gonzalez
    16 Aug. 2022
    “ An economical short play that manages to be both meta-theatrical and heartbreakingly real. Gonzalez rolls out his clever premise with subtlety and wit. What Love Must Be is a bittersweet and thoughtful exploration of infidelity, longing, and the truth of "true love". ”
  • Socks On the Wall by Brad Goren-Wilson
    18 Jul. 2022
    “ I’ve read and seen so many “Covid plays”; this is the first one that feels timeless, where the pandemic isn’t the story but the backdrop for a more universal exploration of loneliness, nostalgia, connection and the lengths to which we will go for family. SOTW manages to be hopeful and uplifting without being cloying, clever and original without sacrificing heart. ”
  • BIOGRAPHY OF A CONSTELLATION by Lila Rose Kaplan
    10 Jun. 2022
    “ I had the pleasure of acting in the first production of this play; it’s still one of my fondest memories as an actor. It’s witty and arch, but also deeply sincere and vulnerable. The intersection of art and science is a fascinating playground, and Kaplan makes joyful, poetic use of it. ”

Pages