Scan barcode
rayofhope's review
5.0
Both of these plays embrace an amount of uncertainty within the LDS faith that most members are too afraid to admit to. As a queer Mormon who attended BYU, Happy Little Secrets broke my heart and laid bare so many wounds I thought had healed. Pilot Program asks important questions about marriage, family, and compromise. What would polygamy look like today?
I highly recommend this book to any member of the church who wishes we saw ourselves and our stories represented authentically. And if you happen to run a theatre -- please consider putting these stories on stage.
I highly recommend this book to any member of the church who wishes we saw ourselves and our stories represented authentically. And if you happen to run a theatre -- please consider putting these stories on stage.
rebleejen's review
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I appreciated _The Pilot Program_ much more than _Little Happy Secrets_, but it may just have been the limitations of reading a play versus seeing it performed. It was easier for me to imagine the characters in _The Pilot Program_ as real people, whereas the characters in _Little Happy Secrets_ just didn't ring true for me--but I may have had a different impression of it if I'd been watching actors deliver the lines.
thejpearson's review
5.0
I think that Pilot Program broke my heart. The huge range of emotions is so relatable, feels so close to myself, it scares me.
rebeccabateman's review
5.0
I grew up doing community theater. I wouldn't say that makes me an expert on what is quality play-writing and what is not, but I've certainly seen plenty of contrived, formulaic, and inane scripting. I'm picky about what I'll qualify as a decent play, so hearing about this set of Mormon plays made me roll my eyes a little and I prepared for cliché, [a:Jack Weyland|151195|Jack Weyland|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1197194916p2/151195.jpg]-esque dialogue brought to the stage.
But this was incredible.
Larson's characters are beautifully human, relatable, complex, recognizable. Her writing is clean, natural, and intelligent. She has taken two groups of very real Mormon families and thrown them into (not so far-fetched) situations that create a wonderful TENSION. She strikes right at the core of the "Yes, but what if?" question that any self-aware, compassionate believer must deal with if they are to pass out of the black and white/good and evil way of thinking. The religious angle is there, yes, and quite important to the motivations of the characters, but it's the psychology that nips at your heart and mind. You could jump into the shoes of any of these characters and feel for the conflict that they must deal with and wonder where you would land.
Larson's plays are a perfectly matched set. She has pulled open the curtains on the next door neighbor... and the one up the street... and let us peer inside. Or perhaps our own blinds are raised, our own vulnerability revealed to the neighbors.
But this was incredible.
Larson's characters are beautifully human, relatable, complex, recognizable. Her writing is clean, natural, and intelligent. She has taken two groups of very real Mormon families and thrown them into (not so far-fetched) situations that create a wonderful TENSION. She strikes right at the core of the "Yes, but what if?" question that any self-aware, compassionate believer must deal with if they are to pass out of the black and white/good and evil way of thinking. The religious angle is there, yes, and quite important to the motivations of the characters, but it's the psychology that nips at your heart and mind. You could jump into the shoes of any of these characters and feel for the conflict that they must deal with and wonder where you would land.
Larson's plays are a perfectly matched set. She has pulled open the curtains on the next door neighbor... and the one up the street... and let us peer inside. Or perhaps our own blinds are raised, our own vulnerability revealed to the neighbors.
lizzyjensenn's review
5.0
I LOVED THESE PLAYS. They are so beautifully created. The characters and their experiences are rich. I especially loved Pilot Program, the play about reintroducing Mormon polygamy. Terrifying and heart breaking. Really gives perspective on the issue.
- scene between Claire and Natalie
- scene between Claire and Brennan
- scene between Claire and Natalie
- scene between Claire and Brennan
theconorhilton's review
5.0
Two plays by Larson are contained in the book: Little Happy Secrets & Pilot Program. Both are a delightful mix of humor and heartache—making me vacillate between stifling laughter and holding back tears from streaming down my face as I read on the Chunnel yesterday.
LHS is grounded in reality, focusing on a woman, Claire, returned from her mission and in love with her best friend and roommate, Brennan, who starts dating a dude Claire doesn't care for. Powerful stuff.
PP is subtitled 'a supposition' and delves into the speculative. Focusing on Abigail, a married woman who has been invited with her husband to help bring polygamy back. A fascinating thought experiment that feels real emotionally.
Both plays avoid easy answers and are deeply deeply human. Pick this up ASAP and cruise through it.
LHS is grounded in reality, focusing on a woman, Claire, returned from her mission and in love with her best friend and roommate, Brennan, who starts dating a dude Claire doesn't care for. Powerful stuff.
PP is subtitled 'a supposition' and delves into the speculative. Focusing on Abigail, a married woman who has been invited with her husband to help bring polygamy back. A fascinating thought experiment that feels real emotionally.
Both plays avoid easy answers and are deeply deeply human. Pick this up ASAP and cruise through it.
aislinreads's review
5.0
I am going to be thinking about both of these short plays for a long time. They hit me much harder than I expected them to. Larson captures BYU and LDS culture perfectly and the little details about being a woman in those settings really resonated with me. Not an emotionally easy read, but I highly recommend it.
More...