←Recommendations of ELEVATOR GIRL

Theatrical, engaging, and thought-provoking without being heavy-handed, Elevator Girl takes a sharp stick and pokes at our views toward sexual assault and objectification using the vehicle of graphic novel/superhero culture, which is symptomatic of the same issues.

Donna Hoke takes the conversation about hyper-sexualized super heroines and flips it on it's ear with ELEVATOR GIRL. This play addresses the misogyny that continues to define the world of comic books, while simultaneously exploring the feelings of fear and guilt that surround victims of sexual assault, and the inability of men to fully understand those feelings. ELEVATOR GIRL is revealing and affecting, a bravely clever way to address a subject that is becoming increasingly relevant in the world of comic book publishing.

As the Executive Director of a theatre company that is regularly looking to produce plays that allows us to "foster community dialogue through theatre about socially-relevant issues," this play is a godsend. It is so important that we discuss rape culture, but how does one convince audience members that this is a play they need to see? ELEVATOR GIRL is one of those rare plays that audiences will inexorably find themselves drawn to, and it will remain with them long after they have left the theater. This play is a workshop on engaging, relevant, and vital theatre.

I got lucky and happened to be in NYC when there was a reading of this play and I'm so glad I got to hear it. It has great characters, particularly a heroine that provided layers, grit, and intrigue. The two men were engaging in their own right and made Elevator Girl's journey compelling. What I was most impressed by was the story's ability to bring the genre of graphic novels to a theatrical setting. I could hear that and visualize it from the reading. And I loved the feminism bones that held up a meaty and dramatic plot.

This piece bravely uses the superhero plot to take on rape culture. This is a piece where Vanessa gets into a situation that's relatable---as her workplace ideas get stolen and her comic heroine is objectified by the men in her life. Hoke does good work here flipping the narrative in fun, surprising ways. I hope it continues to receive support and development towards production, as it will easily find an audience.

Elevator Girl's arrival, amidst the string of Marvel/DC blockbuster films and shows dominating our movie theaters and living room binge-fests, is perfectly timed. Hoke's story provokes important discussions we should all be having about consent, and the consequences when it is ignored. She has constructed a giant sandbox for graphic artists, costume, sound, scenic and lighting designers to play in. With just three characters it's small in scale... but certainly packs a wallop.

It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend Donna Hoke and their play Elevator Girl as a finalist for our 2017 National Playwrights Conference. The play rose through a competitive, anonymous, multileveled selection process that took nearly nine months to execute. As one of 55 finalists out of more than 1,300 submissions, the strength of its writing has allowed this work to prosper in such a competitive selection process. Our readers responded to the play’s sharply imagined world and its use of comedic and comic book genres to explore difficult contemporary issues.

"Elevator Girl" caught me by surprise. Not because of his heavy theme, but because of the clever way it approaches it without relying on big surprises or fall down the hole of cliches topical plays like to use. Instead, Donna gives us a joy ride of a story that albeit sometimes uncomfortable, never stops entertaining. And the uncomfortable feeling? It's the kind that good work gives you.

Donna Hoke has created a very smart, fast-paced, funny play that will certainly add to the conversation about our current rape culture. More than that, the play lands with me by sincerely addressing the significant real life problems involved (that I can't disclose or I would spoil it) grounding this fantastic play in female reality that takes the male characters some time to discover and understand. Filled with great visuals and design elements that deepen the dramatic metaphor!

AN O'NEILL FINALIST! Already one of this country's most exciting emergent playwrights, Donna Hoke takes a major step in a newer direction, expanding her repertoire into spectacle and a more pliable realism, where colorful superheroes can frolic around problematic topics in an uncouth graphic literature world while their creators and readers combat around those same issues IRL, with far greater difficulty (and higher stakes). This is a particularly timely play; Donna continues to demand the attention of America's literary departments, producers, and audiences!