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Larry Rinkel

Recommended by Larry Rinkel

  • Hey by Vince Gatton
    4 Sep. 2020
    “ Vince Gatton paints a sweet and appealing portrait of a young adolescent from rural Kentucky struggling with emotions he can neither control nor understand. Steven Martin below makes the shrewd point that the mother is not the bovine oblivious hick she may at first appear. But the greatest acting challenge may be the Calvin Klein underwear model who must not only look the part, but must inflect his sole word of dialogue in so many ways. This is one case where emotional cues to the actor (and reader) are not only called for but essential. ”
  • The Bitter and the Sweet by Maximillian Gill
    2 Sep. 2020
    “ An understated, beautifully written, and compelling look at a Punjabi-American family incongruously finding themselves living in midwestern U.S. suburbia. Very important to keep the American-born characters distinct from the immigrants, as this plays on their attitudes and experiences. Each familial relationship is subtly but indelibly sketched, with the unseen guests who ring the doorbell only at the end being as important as the five characters of the action. ”
  • The Trouble with Mustard Greens by Maximillian Gill
    2 Sep. 2020
    “ Although this monologue is related to Gill's "The Bitter and the Sweet," it has a distinct personality and both pieces are equally compelling. In this monologue, the speaker Jaspreet addresses her unseen mother to confront her ambivalent feelings towards her Indian heritage with food as the central metaphor. The alternating direct address, address to the unseen mother, and "recipe diction" create a variety of texture not usually found in most monologues. ”
  • Home-Style Cooking at the Gateway Cafe by Philip Middleton Williams
    2 Sep. 2020
    “ Who's lying, who's telling the truth, who's pulling the others' legs, you can never be sure in this deceptively simple short piece for eight players by Philip Williams. In this clever microcosm of small-town America in the time of Trump, there isn't a single statement by any character you can wholly trust, down to actor Tim's "better than Spago" assessment of the endlessly leftover meatloaf. Just don't spell cafe like them French fellers do, like café. ”
  • The War on Christmas (and Other Bullshit) by Megan Ann Jacobs
    27 Aug. 2020
    “ We're always told conflict is the essence of drama, and boy do these four go at it from the get-go, all to the accompaniment of one of the more annoying Christmas carols playing on looped repeat during November. Always fun to see Christmas made fun of, and Megan Ann Jacobs has a ball writing this little comedy set in a classroom where the prof never shows up. (Prof is probably afraid of this diverse, feisty bunch.) Merry Christmukkah! ”
  • Garland, Gynos, and Gurneys by Megan Ann Jacobs
    27 Aug. 2020
    “ This is so delightfully silly. Great opportunity for a talented kid actor, I love Jacobs's irreverence towards Santa Claus and Christmas, and if you can figure out what the title means, I expect it doesn't matter at all. ”
  • Talking to Myself by Cameron Houg
    25 Aug. 2020
    “ Cleverly and insightfully done, in that "Old" refuses to provide all the answers that "Young" seeks, making the play both enigmatic and thought-provoking. Do we, or can we, possibly know what the future holds in store for us? ”
  • Matinee by Robert Weibezahl
    25 Aug. 2020
    “ Utterly charming depicting of a generation gap between an annoying mother and her annoyed daughter. (If you're wondering what happened to Dad, he's been stuck in the bathroom for a good couple of hours. You can decide for yourself if this is a deliberate avoidance of the women in his somewhat dysfunctional family or merely constipation.) And while the usual advice is to keep a 10-minute play to a single scene, here the 2-scene format really works. Funniest bit: the *second* time Mom knocks on Melanie's bedroom door. ”
  • Drain by Scott Sickles
    24 Aug. 2020
    “ Just when you thought the worst would be that Mark is deported to "Asia" (anywhere in Asia, this ICE inspector is as stupid as his boss), the play - which is set a year from date of writing, during the second Trump administration - takes a more shocking turn yet and thus lives up to its title. Don't think for a minute it can't happen here, folks. A disturbing and gripping short play from Asian-American playwright Scott Sickles. ”
  • GOD OF A DEAD UNIVERSE (full-length play) by Dwayne Yancey
    24 Aug. 2020
    “ Yancey's themes are clear - the destructive effects of climate change, here applied in a parable-like manner to Mars rather than earth. And his characters are clear as well rather than being rounded - the intrepid investigative reporter, the courageous scientist imprisoned for speaking unpalatable truths, the pompous but corrupt empty suit of a president. But what makes the play work is its skillful fast pacing and well-written dialogue. A good choice for theaters looking for a cautionary tale on climate change. ”

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