STEW

by Zora Howard

The Tucker women are up early to prepare a very important meal, or at least that's what Mama says. As the day wears on, the little dramas that always take place in the kitchen boil over, making a mess of everything. STEW explores the substance of that special stuff passed between kinswomen and how the secrets we keep from our mothers eventually become the secrets we keep from ourselves.

Genres: Plays, African American

110 pages, Paperback

Published April 28, 2021

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stew has a lot going on; it is a complex play in a lot of ways. There is a fair bit of subtext that I was picking up on, but would take a second or third meaning to really grasp the meaning of. Howard's use of overlapping dialog is imaginative, and I love her flowery stage descriptions.

I did get bogged down a little bit with some of the repetitive dialog with regard to the various characters bossing others around, and the directions in making the stew. I felt like this could have been trimmed a little to tighten up the play, but it's so hard to judge these things in the reading only. I'm sure the actors bring nuance & more subtext when performed.

Overall enjoyable and engaging.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

i need to stop reading & seeing plays that will make me cry

[Jordan Muschler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zora Howard's strength is dialogue, which is so natural while still maintaining rhythm and excitement. Character conflict occasionally felt a bit forced for how day-in-the-life the play wants to feel, but it is easy to forgive when the characters themselves are engaging and funny. The ending is moving, too, for the way it reveals how our parent's issues and conflicts carry on to us - without ending us or defeating us. Would recommend to most!

[Bobby Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good play on words in the title. I confess I found the ending a bit confusing. I *think* I know what the pop-pop-pop sounds are, but I'm not entirely sure.

[bookster95 · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2.5*
Doesn't do anything interesting until the end. Now, I'm wondering why it was a finalist for the Pulitzer.

[Ashley Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

dragged a bit. but love the stage directions!

[Eliana Lazzara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Generational trauma! Breaking and maintaining cycles! Food as a vessel for education! CRYING!

[ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5💫 ending was a bit confusing tho

[Syd · Rating 4 out of 5]

SHIT! DAMN! FUCK!

[Timur Markowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would love to see on stage. Cried reading it.

[Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine enough. Didn't bowl me over. Didn't give me too much to think about. I think it'd be a nice watch on stage.