It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend Shanti Noelani Reinhardt and their play Kill 'Em With Aloha; Or, Da Big Mouth Pidgin English Play as a finalist for our 2020 National Playwrights Conference. This particular work emerged from a highly competitive, anonymous, and multi-tiered selection process to become one of 63 finalists out of more than 1,500 submissions. This enthralling piece galvanized the hearts and theatrical imaginations of our reading teams and is fully championed by our offices. We are honored to put our enthusiastic support behind this writer and their ongoing contributions to the American Theater.

Reinhardt provides such a vivid rendering of place and time with well-chosen details. I was amazed at how she was able to conjure potent sensory details just through dialogue. Manny and Janet are funny, sympathetic, and compelling central characters in this story. I was also astounded at how the rest of the sizeable ensemble was so three dimensional and complex as well. Reinhardt wrote these characters and cultural/social conflicts with kindness, generosity, and tenderness, even as they bristled against one another. The negotiation of Manny's complex, intersectional identity was, in particular, poignant and beautifully handled. Theatrical, touching, and hilarious!