Recommended by Jennifer O'Grady

  • O, Little Town
    4 Jan. 2019
    The Nativity story translated into contemporary dialogue and with a really angry Joe who can't get a room at the hotel for his pregnant wife. Brilliant and so funny.
  • Not Worth A Whistle
    4 Jan. 2019
    An extremely powerful short play about racism and survival set in 1955 Mississippi soon after 14-year-old Emmett Till's brutal murder by white racists. Jones's play shines a brief but essential light onto one of the very worst aspects of American history, one that continues to need bright light shined upon it today. We need more plays like this.
  • The Reinhart Beethoven Third Concerto
    4 Jan. 2019
    A very funny and surprising play about a fanatical music-lover and the very rare (and very expensive) LP he has just purchased of a Beethoven concerto with an unusual chord which, apparently, only a few pianists have ever gotten right. I love thinking of Beethoven putting this odd chord in his score because, as the LP collector claims, "when improvising [Beethoven] would lull his friends into a reverie, then to make fun of them he would strike a short, sharp chord." This would be a fun two-hander for any short-play fest.
  • Mom
    3 Jan. 2019
    As a mom I was immediately drawn to the title of this play and it did not let me down. MOM made me laugh out loud on every page. This is a sharp, satirical commentary on family dynamics that's refreshingly and hilariously sympathetic to the plight of the mom. I would love to see this play performed.
  • Death to Poe
    3 Jan. 2019
    What a fun play! The plot keeps unfolding and it's full of hilarious stage directions as the two reporters demonstrate increasingly ludicrous ways Edgar Allan Poe might have been (but as Liam the intern knows, definitely wasn't) murdered. This would be so fun to perform and to see performed and would be great for all ages.
  • Joan's Arc
    21 Dec. 2018
    Moving and suspenseful. Hageman writes so beautifully and realistically about young people, and Joan is a terrific character. What I love about this play is that it doesn't just focus on Joan's grief and the harrowing experience of a school shooting. Instead, we follow Joan as she tries to move forward and solve a puzzling and disturbing mystery at her school. Another wonderful new work from Hageman.
  • How to Audition for a Play if You're a Girl
    6 Dec. 2018
    I love this funny, insightful, surprising play. Hageman has quickly become one of my favorite writers. It's no wonder her plays get performed so often. If you haven't yet read her work, you should!
  • Emily Dickinson Talks to God, Now (A Monologue)
    23 Oct. 2018
    As a huge Emily Dickinson fan I was immediately drawn to this monologue play, which shows the mysterious and reclusive Dickinson from the perspective of one of her neighbors, who has troubles of her own. This is a beautiful and haunting piece that would no doubt transfix an audience, and which would be a joy for an actor to perform. I'd love to see it on stage.
  • Blue
    7 Oct. 2018
    Another beautiful and moving play from Hageman that investigates story and memory, tragedy and family and love. I keep saying it, but this is a playwright to watch.
  • Hi, My Name is Matt
    7 Oct. 2018
    Such a powerful, heartbreaking play. Hageman's ability to make beautiful affecting theater out of tragedy while finding ways to inspire an audience is stunning. This is a playwright to watch.

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