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Matthew Weaver

Recommended by Matthew Weaver

  • Meet Murasaki Shikibu Followed by Book-Signing, and Other Things by Julia Izumi
    18 Oct. 2018
    “ I started reading, and my jaw dropped open with delight, and never closed again. Because the delights come fast and furious in Izumi's play, as the author of the first novel ever written finally makes an appearance and it is everything we could ever hope for. Hilarity reigns throughout but Izumi also asks what it means and why history has lost her name. MEET ... would be a standout on NPX if it only did these things. But it is further elevated by the lengthy debate over the proper phrasing of "question and answer session." This play is a gift. ”
  • PERMISSION by Rachael Carnes
    17 Oct. 2018
    “ WOW. Super powerful and super important, and super sad that a play like this feels so necessary. Would be a powerhouse addition to any festival, and a good jumping off point for conversations with any teenager. A particular strength of Carnes' play is the role reversal, however subtle, where Emma must suddenly take care of her mother. Carnes does here for the word "permission" what Jordan Elizabeth Henry does for the term "sistering" in her play of the same name, and it is an example of playwriting at its finest and most relevant. Simply put, produce this play. Please. Please. ”
  • Heart Land by Emily Hageman
    15 Oct. 2018
    “ That sound you hear is those of us who have thoroughly enjoyed Hageman's shorter works rejoicing at the arrival of her first full-length. All of her signature superpowers- heartfelt characters and deep dives into tough subject matter, plus irresistible, adorable wit - are out in full force. Here she shines the spotlight on Marty, a young therapist who tries to move past her own traumas to help high school students sort through their own experiences. Hageman has a master's touch when it comes to exploring interesting characters/ scenarios, and this is no exception. Hageman at any length is a marvel. ”
  • Thou Shalt Not by Laura Pittenger
    10 Oct. 2018
    “ A searing family drama, rife with secrets buried in history. A lesson in subtext. Nobody is happy, everything is complicated - which makes for the best sort of tension possible. Warring brothers Sean and Randy might seem to take center stage, but it's their mother, Ellen, and girlfriends who both steal the show and provide the foundation and strength for a taut, gloriously messy conflict as it spills over into boiling. Thoughtful and deeply compelling, with fully drawn characters Pittenger doesn't ask us to like, but whom - in her capable hands - we understand so easily, warts and all. ”
  • The Bedroom Summit by Scott Sickles
    10 Oct. 2018
    “ WOW. A highly charged, erotic story between a boy and his bully. Sickles doesn't shy away from the steam, or the complications that arise between nerdy cute Boyd and dangerously charming Justin: "I will not rest until I have stuffed you in every locker in that school." Here he expertly, delicately balances the dueling themes of fear and shame with desire - a great challenge for a director and two strong performers to embrace and give into wholeheartedly. Sickles dares to ask many questions of the audience. And then he dares not to give us any easy answers. ”
  • Four Thieves Vinegar by Christine Foster
    10 Oct. 2018
    “ "A dark comedy about the Black Death." I once had the pleasure of exchanging 10-page play with Foster for Trade a Play Tuesday. She again demonstrates a delightfully wicked wit, as her characters shift alliances and lay waste to the truth more easily than they breathe. Like the riddle about the man crossing the river in a rowboat with a wolf, cabbage and a goat - the characters rarely have all the pieces they need when they need them. A marvelous script, deserving a much longer production history. Foster is a master; read everything she writes. I certainly intend to. ”
  • NO LITTLE WOMEN by Emma Goldman-Sherman
    8 Oct. 2018
    “ A GREAT play for energetic young performers, in which Louisa May Alcott's classic is viewed through a modern prism and, at first, found wanting. Fortunately, Ms. Cott the teacher is there to guide and lead our heroes into greater understanding of the book and themselves. If your festival is about girl power, this is a shoo-in for inclusion. (And if it's not about girl power, I think you need to rethink your priorities!) All of Goldman-Sherman's unique storytelling powers (so good in such plays as FUKT and WHORTICULTURE) are on full display here. She's a force you absolutely must produce. ”
  • Zoloft Tango by Ross Peter Nelson
    30 Sep. 2018
    “ I had the pleasure of seeing a production of this in 2016 at the Spokane Civic Theatre. Nelson offers a lively workplace comedy-cautionary tale without ever veering into serious terrain. I am particularly partial to Emily Two's attraction to co-worker Tyler in hallucinogen-inspired penguin mode and the use of the PC as a living, breathing character, who goes into sleep mode sometime. (Directors can have an enormous amount of fun with this detail!) Nelson brings it all together with a killer final moment. Zany, wry, sly fun. ”
  • No Bikini by Emma Goldman-Sherman
    29 Sep. 2018
    “ So, so real and so, so timely. Jess (and Goldman-Sherman) aren't messing around when dealing with toxic masculinity, rape culture and the party scene. This is a play that should be shown in schools and at festivals until guys get it into their thick skulls - c'mon, dudes - while girls sadly nod their heads knowingly. That a play like this needs to exist in the first place is pathetic; Goldman-Sherman handles the subject matter with her signature excellence. Play it at your festivals, and then sit back to watch the conversations it's sure to spark catch fire. ”
  • WORLD CLASSIC by Nelson Diaz-Marcano
    28 Sep. 2018
    “ A master work. Diaz-Marcano shows us a family on the verge of exploding, and then goes and shows us why for each of them, with tremendous empathy and heart. I appreciate the window into this world that he provides so compellingly. From moment to moment, it's fun, it's funny, it's tense, it's heartbreaking, and Diaz-Marcano keeps each emotion in mind, so that all are in play at any given time. A master class in context, subtext, identity and family drama. I keep using words like "masterful," and I mean every one. Simply beautiful. Grateful that Nelson shares it with us. ”

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