WENDY GRAF
playwright
What The Critics Say
Click Title for review
CLOSELY RELATED KEYS
“POWERFUL… BOLD AND RELEVANT…a representation of the complexities of cultural, racial and personal
relationships. Graf asks hard questions of the characters and ultimately the audience. All the action takes place just
before the 10th anniversary of 9-11, and probes the depths of that day and its far-reaching ramifications. Graf’s
characters are layered and complex. Each one is a mystery to be solved, as they all hold onto secrets they would
rather not reveal should it destroy the fragile lives they’ve built for themselves.” - Sean McMullen, Long
Beach Gazette
“PROFOUNDLY ENGAGING… provocative and timely… this gem of a show is remarkable.” - Chris Daniels, The Show Report, Long Beach
“A TALE OF politics, war, guilt, hidden pain, family…this is not simply a story about the horrific, lingering aftereffects of war, it is more. Graf has created a timely and powerful tale of today’s schisms, both personal and political. CLOSELY RELATED KEYS manages to tell the story of countless individuals through the eyes of two women impacted by the overwhelming events around them. Events over which they had no control, but which left indelible marks on them.” - Elaine Mura, Splash Magazines
“Grabs the audience’s attention… strikes every chord of human emotion… forces the audience to grapple with their own beliefs and stereotypes… A THEATRICAL GEM”
- Neon Tommy
“RIVETING...Best World Premiere Plays of 2013/14; Best Production
Drama/Intimate Theater 2013/14
- StageSceneLA
"Playwright Wendy Graf (Leipzig, No Word in Guyanese For Me) has proven herself quite accomplished at tackling issues within a solid dramatic context, and she is working here with important issues of identity, guilt, tolerance in both a political and psychological context. She has a deft way with delineating how people relate with one another (the scenes between the lovers could especially have been fraught with uncomfortable writing but are instead redeemed by delicate twists of character). Her narrative builds up a rather bracing head of suspense as circumstances are gradually revealed. She can even write scolding speeches without untoward didacticism."
- Hollywood Reporter