This email from a theatre teacher / director is better than any review I could have gotten. Note: I redacted the teacher’s name out of an abundance of caution for someone who mentions having LGBTQ+ kids in their school.
(Find the Twelve Huntsmen here.)
Hello Brian,
I just wanted to let you know that we recently closed our middle school production of The Twelve Huntsmen up here in MA, and it was a huge success. We had an all-middle school tech crew (and cast, of course), and we managed to work out the randomization of the text and all the exciting challenges that provided…and stage it on a 3/4 thrust, all of which were new experiences for our young actors. The audience and family members were completely impressed, our students absolutely blew your fantastic script out of the water, and they were SO proud of themselves for taking on such a unique script.I wanted to thank you, especially, for the work you did in creating this script and getting it onto NPX. I read MANY plays written for this age group and I am consistently disappointed in what I find. It’s a rare playwright who is tapping into the unique voice and views of this generation. I work at a school with a large population of young women and a large population of students who identify as LGBTQIA+, trans, or gender non-conforming. I feel like your script was a magical unicorn in a forest of mediocrity that was the perfect mix of smart, sassy, dark and hilarious, and I am so grateful to you!! Looking forward to following your future work, and just know you have some big fans up here in western Massachusetts.With gratitude,(Theatre Teacher)
Briandaniel Oglesby 