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Claudia Haas

Recommended by Claudia Haas

  • Five Boys on the Beach by Matthew Weaver
    11 Apr. 2020
    “ Weaver finds the confusion, the lust, the need for teenage leaders in a silent but oh so loud Five Boys on the Beach. Each character is carefully constructed with an arc that uplifts and breaks you. This is a treasure trove for young performers who will find their characters in relationship to one another. Weaver shows us that some of the most powerful moments onstage are in silence. ”
  • Perfect Attendance by Ruben Carbajal
    11 Apr. 2020
    “ The play is never what you think which I love and it’s what I thought I knew but I didn’t. Carbajal captures the essence of teenage-hood - who knows what they think and what you think. But you don’t. A puzzle of what’s right, what’s correct, and what’s real gives way to rebellion: a kidnapping, a kiss, and maybe there’s a revelation. Such a bullseye for teens and their audiences. Carbajal captures the essence of a busy teenage brain. ”
  • Last Dance with MJ by Lindsay Partain
    11 Apr. 2020
    “ Partain’s revenge-comedy gives you the slings and arrows of zingers. Yes, dating is treacherous, maddening, sexy, lustful and filled with traps. What’s the answer? Build a better trap. And you watch in delight as the characters do so. ”
  • A Shared Mammary by Lindsay Partain
    11 Apr. 2020
    “ An outlandish and original premise is at work here. Twin sisters who share a mammary gland are working the ins and outs of trying on a bikini with amazingly different results. And wait till they attempt to leave the dressing room ... A Shared Mammary presents endless opportunities for physical clowning and imaginative staging in a confined space. Bonus: The play has two strong, comedic female characters. ”
  • Turtles and Bulldogs by Scott Sickles
    11 Apr. 2020
    “ “Not everyone blooms.” And that is the exact moment where you start wishing and cheering the characters on saying, “Bloom. bloom.” A slice of life of what “could have been” with an ending of “what may come” gives for a poignant, satisfactory play of love and yearning. Sickles has the knack for finding the humanity in his characters and he delivers this in spades. ”
  • MATZA FOR THE RICH by Hank Kimmel
    10 Apr. 2020
    “ Kimmel hands us a holiday feast. The matza may be meager but it was done with care and in the end - the bakery got what they expected. Even if they hoped for more. Using Passover and matza to highlight class differences, Kimmel gives us the class differences that have existed throughout time but personalizes it with the hopes of laborer and the outlook of the rich. The answer lies not in the wishes of the worker but in the reality of the situation. The outcome gives us the good of humanity while acknowledging our shortcomings. ”
  • THREE ELVES SITTING AROUND, PLAYING POKER by Ron Burch
    10 Apr. 2020
    “ The Harry Potter series imagined a world where house elves were unionized. Burch takes this idea further and has the elves debating whether to go “on brand” with Mattel or Hasbro or stick with good old Santa. Over a poker game, the elves fight over their cute status versus their slave labor position. Burch keeps it lively and makes you wonder what could happen if the elves hijacked Christmas. Oh wait! Maybe they did. ”
  • Rising Sophomore by John Minigan
    8 Apr. 2020
    “ This hit me in the gut. Where do the bullies go when there is no school? Or - what do we find about the bullies when honest communication is possible? A beautiful moment of wanting to do better, wishing for forgiveness without knowing if it is warranted. Do new times give rise to new relationships? Can we find the “good” in the “difficult?” Minigan gives hope in these sheleting-in-place days. ”
  • Heartbreak at the Putt-Putt Palace by Jackie Martin
    8 Apr. 2020
    “ A rom-com that’s not all hearts and roses? Where else can one declare true love but on a fake green lawn? A “maybe” love that “probably” could lead to marriage if you believe in that sort of thing. Sweetly cynical and a sign of our times. Love is a many faceted thing and Martin brings all these facets together for a hole-in-one. ”
  • The Play of Excessive Exposition, Stereotypical Characters, and Cliches by Neil Radtke
    8 Apr. 2020
    “ “Why is Leah still frozen?” “Because the playwright can’t write female characters.” And so the play continues, delivering an entree of horrible coincidences, bad female dialogue, and cliches that would induce labor in some of the population. The play gives us - in style - what is promised. And it couldn’t be more fun for the actors and audience. ”

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