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Ricardo Soltero-Brown

Recommended by Ricardo Soltero-Brown

  • I Lived, In Rancho Tehama by Donna Hoke
    16 Mar. 2018
    “ A play so boldly about numbers you might forget who is telling the story: a child only instantly too wise about the world. The stasis of the child may be the stasis of our country, the U.S.A. Donna Hoke makes moves here that I haven't ever quite come across. This is stunningly deft, poignant writing worthy of any evening or anthology concerning gun control. ”
  • #matter by Idris Goodwin
    15 Mar. 2018
    “ Without doubt one of the best plays I've read about a chasm within the Left. Goodwin does an incredible job of illuminating the street lamps on the bridge which finds so many people on one side or the other. This is an astonishing, brave, charitable, insightful play for everyone with the capacity for patience and understanding. It reaches heights both existential and philosophical. The ultimate worth of the piece is beyond any poetry play I've read in a long time. Bravo to Mr Goodwin, who wrote this in 2015. ”
  • Carrot Sticks (5 min play) by Hope Villanueva
    11 Mar. 2018
    “ The characters Villanueva chooses to include here commits the play to the jarring loss a family experiences when a member is suddenly taken away. The construction here offers something visceral to the audience, both visually and emotionally. The most moving elements of this work will take hold immediately but last long after the lights go dark. ”
  • Youth (1 Min Play) by Hope Villanueva
    11 Mar. 2018
    “ A straightforward breakdown of society's disparaging, disruptive, disgusting, and destructive stance on gender equality and cooperation, and the methods and language used to subjugate our youth into abiding exclusionary standards. ”
  • 'Merica (1 Min Play) by Hope Villanueva
    11 Mar. 2018
    “ A play where its quickness is not only effective but quite possibly the point. A brutal, curt, perceptive piece about the current nightmare of achieving the American dream. A retort to any generation or class that can take success and opportunity for granted. A bitter morsel of truth for those out of touch with the slippery, unforgiving slope of poverty and struggle. ”
  • Elephant Walk (10 Min Play) by Hope Villanueva
    11 Mar. 2018
    “ A kind of play that I've grown to have a particular fondness for, one culminating in an act of kindness. How strange that an act so simple can be so dramatic, how it speaks to social, political, and economic issues. The breadth of this tree's branches can make your stomach sink, your heart soar, and your mind race. ”
  • IN TRAINING by Rachael Carnes
    10 Mar. 2018
    “ There's nothing quite like Rachael Carnes having fun. In this short piece written to be performed in total darkness, Carnes still finds time to shed light on power, people, and institutions. The gags and dialogue will cause squirms and squeals of glee. ”
  • Present Tense by Emily Hageman
    6 Mar. 2018
    “ A beautiful work about three siblings in a car. As they travel, Hageman displays a gift for sharp, lively, playful dialogue. She navigates their trip with turns both sad and loving. A wonderful, darkly comic piece with characters whom you can imagine are picking up right where they left off. This is some of the best and most believable character work that I've read in quite a while. The actors are given daggers and flags which they'll easily eat up, enjoy, and come to love. ”
  • TEACH: ANOTHER MONOLOGUE THAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WRITE by Asher Wyndham
    5 Mar. 2018
    “ One of Wyndham's most disturbing works. The specific use of the chorus from a particular Kendrick Lamar song is devastating and speaks to the thoroughness and thoughtfulness of Wyndham's writing. The kids aren't (going to be) alright, not in this climate, not if the kind of too-close-to-fact "fiction" that's depicted here is the direction being taken. This play feels terrifyingly prophetic, fearing the future, created with a full consideration of the past, and an urgent warning for the present. ”
  • The Thoughtful Lunch by Keenya Jackson
    2 Mar. 2018
    “ This's a poignant, rather deft piece not so much about neuroticism but maybe more about fear, although both are given equal shares of focus. Keenya Jackson has created a play where the real conflict is simmering, however rising to a boil, just beneath the surface. We know the trouble is there, even though Jackson's character Sheila is concentrated on the significance of (what is perhaps, or is perhaps not entirely) an insignificant tuna sandwich. The adept construction of this drama finds its rock hammer in a stinky office refrigerator, which serves as the excuse for Sheila to chip away. Impressive! ”

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