[15] It was subsequently performed at by the Marin Theatre Company in California, starring Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker,[16] and returned to the Florida Stage in 2009.
"[16] Critic Bill Hirschman describes the audience member's experience as realizing that the comedy "has morphed – some time ago – into affecting drama.
The mother, Sylvia, turns to Jesus, who appears (only to her and the audience) constantly in her presence; her daughter Rachel has a similar imagined relationship with the physicist Stephen Hawking.
Into this situation arrives Nelson, the neighbor boy whose Elvis Presley-inspired sequined jumpsuit makes him the target of scorn, but whose relationships with Arthur and with Rachel bring changes to their family.
Although Charles Isherwood, reviewing the Ensemble Studio production for The New York Times, found the characters to be "drawn with varying levels of persuasiveness,"[7] other critics were more receptive.
Writing for Variety about the same production, Sam Thielman stated that "Laufer has nailed down inter-teenager dynamics with a precision that parents are likely to envy" and "the playwright has an enviable gift for crafting vulnerable moments between her characters.
"[22] Writing about a 2011 production at by the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble in Los Angeles, reviewer Margaret Gray said that "Laufer’s unique sense of humor, Lisa James’ lighthearted direction and the actors’ enthusiasm ensure that End Days, even at its least plausible, sheds authentic light on the human condition.
The National Security Agency recruits Ian to conduct real war, remotely flying armed drones, which leads to tensions and ethical qualms among the characters.
[32] Reviewing the Cleveland production, Bob Abelman writes, "the playwright and director Sean Daniels squeeze all the simultaneously disclosed science, personal crisis and philosophical debate into a beautifully woven, cleverly conceived and highly entertaining tapestry of storytelling.
"[33] New York Times review Charles Isherwood called the 2015 production at The Duke " thoughtful and engrossing" and notes that "The affecting ancillary story — of Jillian’s Type-A personality and the problems it causes in her marriage — is woven neatly into the plot."
[34] It features Bari, a cynical ex-professor living in upstate New York, working at curio import fulfillment center, and attempting to finish her dissertation on Nihilism.
[35][36][34][37] Cincinnati CityBeat reviewer Jackie Mulay found that the "characters and their encounters blend to form a work that is ultimately about connecting to those around you in order to truly find yourself.
[4] The central character is the Emery Harris, a reclusive amateur botanist living in a treehouse who gains a cult following on YouTube.
She has taught workshops as part of the Dramatists Guild Fund's Traveling Masters program,[41] and served as a judge for the Horton Foote Prize.