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marlanaperry77's review against another edition
4.0
Some of these one acts were the most brilliant things I've ever read, and some made no sense or at the very least are definitely better seen than read.
mgoscinski's review against another edition
challenging
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
not_a_bagel's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
An expert study in language and the challenges within, sometimes blisteringly funny and sometimes falling very flat. Somewhat inconsistent and a few of the plays were just a slog to read (Phillip Glass can suck it). Overall an enjoyable experience but I wouldn't want to revisit all of it.
kiramke's review against another edition
4.0
I remember thoroughly enjoying this live. Although the theme gets a bit repetitive, it's a good one.
bravelass85's review against another edition
3.0
David Ives is a masterful playwright. He knows how to say a lot without saying much (or by saying the same simple things over and over). His plays are either devastatingly funny or just...devsstating. He explores all manner of human relationships, though mostly romantic ones, in ways the are honest to the point of brutality and sometimes almost too cynical to take. However, his plays feel - you can't deny that. Variations on the Death of Trotsky, The Philadelphia, and A Singular Kind of Guy are all quite funny. His use of musical rythmns for Foreplay (the fugue) and Ancient History is stunning. Ancient History is a great exploration of the end of a relationship that burns with honesty - he did a great job of showing (instead of telling) the cyclical nature of relationships and the "practicing" that comes before the real end of something. Seven Menus is also about the end of relationships, but is just too cynical. His experiments in language in Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread, English Made Simple, and the Universal Language seem interesting, but I have a sense that I wasn't really able to get a true sense of them (they need to be acted, especially Philip Glass). A nice collection of plays.
davybaby's review against another edition
4.0
Usually very funny, even if it is hit-and-miss. good read, but more fun to see performed. thumbs up.
spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
3.0
[doorbell chimes]Okay, uh... I have to write a review, then. I'm. I mean, hell, what am I supposed to say? I loved it—
[bell]—liked it—
[bell]—hated it?
[bell]I liked it.
Right. I liked "Sure Thing" the most, obviously, because it was about love—
[bell]—life—
[bell]It was about going on bad dates—
[bell]I liked "Sure Thing," because it was about the existential horror of being a video game character with a limited save point. I would've liked it more though if, at the end, Betty and Bob—
[bell]Billy—
[bell]Bill.
At the end, Betty should've said something wrong, and then turned into Anita Lane, and—
[bell]Betty should've said something awkward, and respawned at her own save point. But overall I really liked the play; I didn't read any of the others, because I couldn't find a free PDF—
[bell]—couldn't buy a very legal copy from a legitimate dealer—
[bell]—because I don't own a collection of all of David Ives's works. But there wasn't an edition with just "Sure Thing," so I lied—
[bell]—exaggerated—
[bell]—just because this goddamn website doesn't have a goddamn—
[many bells ring]I couldn't find an edition with just "Sure Thing," so I went and read all of them, and found some of them were great too. I liked, well, I particularly liked, uh, the one with the, er—
[bell]—I'm planning to read the rest. At some point.
But the real point here is that I liked "Sure Thing," which is obvious from the review, since I'm breaking the fucking fourth wall, and—
[bell]But the real point is that I liked "Sure Thing," and I'm excited—
[bell]—nervous—
[bell]—hell, I'll probably procrastinate for so long I forget I wanted to read the damn—
[bell]I'll keep an eye out for anything else Ives published. Who knows, maybe it'll be a gem.
[curtain]
bonnysweetrobin's review against another edition
5.0
The five stars is for "Sure Thing" which is easily my favorite ten-minute-play. The rest are good too, but sure thing is hilarious and accessible for any actor, though it takes good comic chops to pull it off.
aaronpic26's review
medium-paced
2.0
“I don’t think language is just music. I believe that language is the opposite of loneliness. And if everybody in the world spoke the same language, who would ever be lonely?”
this was just boring… like the first play was good but then all the rest of them were too long and had no point to them. there was no common connection between any of them and none of them served a purpose or had a plot to them. like if you want to have a bunch of “weird” one acts at least make them have a point or be interesting and not repeat the same joke over and over. there were some okay parts in it but i was just bored for most of the time. also fuck woody allen anyways.
this was just boring… like the first play was good but then all the rest of them were too long and had no point to them. there was no common connection between any of them and none of them served a purpose or had a plot to them. like if you want to have a bunch of “weird” one acts at least make them have a point or be interesting and not repeat the same joke over and over. there were some okay parts in it but i was just bored for most of the time. also fuck woody allen anyways.