←Recommendations of Tail of the Bell

A taut and tense interaction between a mother and her daughter's tutor whom she suspects of inappropriate conduct that unfolds in all the irregular and human rhythms of real time. While the mystery of what actually happened between Eric and Jessica drives the piece, Michelle's overall arc is perhaps the most compelling and intriguing throughline in the play--the way her concern for Jessica's wellbeing diverges from and intersects with her own anxieties about parenthood, not knowing her child, and self-actualization. The socio-economic snapshot is also crystal clear and well-rendered.

A fascinating investigation into the truth by a mother who smells something suspicious. She's presented with the conundrum of where to draw the boundary between herself and her daughter's life. A powerful and suspenseful exchange that brings up so many questions wrapping us up in the answers. Captivating and incredibly well done!

Each twist and turn of this well crafted play builds delicious suspense and raises tension until reaching its conclusion... and even then- we're left with the sobering reminder that, sometimes, what we don't know can't hurt us. Or, at the very least, not as much. Fast-paced dialogue, and a wonderful character study.

It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend Gabriel Neustadt and his play Tail of the Bell 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 were struck by how this two-hander builds tension as this pair of nuanced characters slowly reveal their inner motivations and desires.