A girl made of glass. Gods and murders. A pack of ghosts. And a secret in a bottle. A kaleidoscope of stories, each short play is a testament to how playwright Caryl Churchill has “remade the landscape of contemporary drama—and earned herself a place among the greats” (The Guardian). James Macdonald directs these wildly inventive new works.
“Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp” is being given a production that’s watchable enough – Deirdre O’Connell is the undeniable standout, but the entire cast is game, including a couple of circus acts in-between the plays (acrobat Junru Wang and juggler Maddox Morfit-Tighe) – so that you may be OK with not being able to grasp what it all means. Until you get home, and the plays continue in your head.
Very notably, Glass. Kill. What If If Only. Imp. is mounted as a vaudeville evening with velvet curtain and vaudeville lights circling the proscenium. Set designer Miriam Buether’s sumptuous curtain and Isabella Bryd’s flashy lights are augmented between the first and second one-acts by Junru Wang, who pulls off an impressive balancing act; and later by Maddox Morfit-Tighe, an ultimately five-pins juggler. Highly adept at what they do, they’re also obviously employed to imply how the production is to be regarded. This is only vaudeville. Got it? So what if the production isn’t start-to-finish thoroughly effective? Like a vaudeville bill, there’s still enough to muse on satisfactorily.
| 2025 | Off-Broadway |
Public Theater American Premiere Production Off-Broadway |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play | Deirdre O'Connell |
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design of a Pl | Isabella Byrd |
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play | Miriam Buether |
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design of a Play | Bray Poor |
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