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By the Water
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 28, 2018
A play set on Staten Island in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, it really captures the tone of New York families and the way the devastation changed many people's lives and forced them to make difficult decisions. There's the expected dysfunctional family at the center of it all, but if they were functional then it wouldn't be interesting. It's a play I'd like to do and one that is written in a series of short scenes which I can see many people pulling out for acting classes.
January 10, 2026
Well, this play found me at the right time. There were a few passages that feel ripped from my life, or at least say the quiet parts out loud. The familial drama and struggle is quite palpable. It’s not always about money, but man, does it have the power to rip everything apart.
“Whatever you’re feeling right now, whatever desperate thing you’re feeling, it’s a whole lot better than shame. ‘Cause shame… that’s the thing makes you less than a man.”
Sure, the ending could be better. Maybe as a whole, this play could have a bit more bite. Even so, there are just so many incredible character moments. It’s so incredibly unsexy. When this was published and made, it almost feels too soon from when Hurricane Sandy happened.
“You know why I’m so intent on fixing this house? All the hard work, y’know who that’s for? YOU. You and your brother. My dad gave me this house and I wanted to give it to you. That’s always been the plan.”
“I don’t want the house, Dad.”
“Now. Sure. But you don’t know. Things change. You might need more room. Or maybe you’ll just use it as a bungalow. The point is, you should have it. A father should be able to leave his son something.”
Lots of sentiments here broke my heart. What keeps a family together… and it’s not always love. The meaning we attach to places. The idea of wanting to do right by our kids, but fucking up every chance we get.
I’ve been pretty sad for the past week. I can’t wait for school to come back to have a renewed sense of purpose; at the very least, structured distractions and the opportunity to pour myself into art with my friends. Like I said, this play found me at the right time. It helps me understand lots of situations I can’t control. And why our parents do what they do. I may have understood the situation this whole time intellectually, even emotionally; still, I recognize I’m not alone in the way I think, and that’s why a play like this exists.
Thanks, Izadora, for performing a monologue from this play a year ago, and for sending me the PDF after. Took me a little while to get to it... but it couldn't have hit harder than now.
“Whatever you’re feeling right now, whatever desperate thing you’re feeling, it’s a whole lot better than shame. ‘Cause shame… that’s the thing makes you less than a man.”
Sure, the ending could be better. Maybe as a whole, this play could have a bit more bite. Even so, there are just so many incredible character moments. It’s so incredibly unsexy. When this was published and made, it almost feels too soon from when Hurricane Sandy happened.
“You know why I’m so intent on fixing this house? All the hard work, y’know who that’s for? YOU. You and your brother. My dad gave me this house and I wanted to give it to you. That’s always been the plan.”
“I don’t want the house, Dad.”
“Now. Sure. But you don’t know. Things change. You might need more room. Or maybe you’ll just use it as a bungalow. The point is, you should have it. A father should be able to leave his son something.”
Lots of sentiments here broke my heart. What keeps a family together… and it’s not always love. The meaning we attach to places. The idea of wanting to do right by our kids, but fucking up every chance we get.
I’ve been pretty sad for the past week. I can’t wait for school to come back to have a renewed sense of purpose; at the very least, structured distractions and the opportunity to pour myself into art with my friends. Like I said, this play found me at the right time. It helps me understand lots of situations I can’t control. And why our parents do what they do. I may have understood the situation this whole time intellectually, even emotionally; still, I recognize I’m not alone in the way I think, and that’s why a play like this exists.
Thanks, Izadora, for performing a monologue from this play a year ago, and for sending me the PDF after. Took me a little while to get to it... but it couldn't have hit harder than now.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews