Reviews
Absence
WBUR (Best of 2014 Theater): “The BU-affiliated BPT fielded Megan Schy Gleeson’s effectively filmy world-premiere staging of Peter M. Floyd’s moving yet antic portrait of a feisty lady not going gentle into that good night of dementia.“
TheaterMania: “Floyd’s play, which moves from family interworking through interior whimsy toward something almost magisterial, finds touching, interesting ways through which to dramatize Helen’s inevitable shedding of self.”
The Harvard Crimson: “With a thought-provoking and slippery narrative, Floyd challenges the audience to question what happens if every small memory that defines us slowly gets boxed up and taken off stage.”
My Entertainment World: “Playwright Peter M. Floyd does a wonderful job of dissecting and exploring the many daily struggles of living with dementia, and living and loving someone who struggles with such illness.”
The New England Theater Geek: “Moments of comedy and wit cut the darkness down to lingering shadows, but this is a play that will continue to make you think and feel long after you’ve left the theatre.”
Wicked Local: “[A] beautiful story – not sentimental, not in any way relying on faith, and filled with unexpected levity.”
Emertainment Monthly: “Peter M. Floyd offers a thoroughly realistic depiction of the harrowing effects of dementia on one’s mind and family.”
Boston Arts Review: “[E]ven if you haven’t had a brush with dementia, you can appreciate the story telling and the real ring of truth.”
Broadway World: “Without sidestepping the harsh reality, Floyd mixes wit and poignance with incisive characterization to create a touching slice of life.”
Other articles and blog posts
An article in the Greensburg (PA) Tribune-Review about a one-night only production of Absence, including interviews with me and several people involved in the show
A Boston Globe article on the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre production of Absence, with a focus on lead actress Joanna Merlin
Another Globe article, this one discussing several recent plays on the subject of dementia, including Absence
A video interview with me on the Boston Playwrights’ Theater blog
A blog post on Absence and dementia by actress Carolyn Cook, who took part in two readings of the play at the Alliance Theatre
An interview of me by my friend the dramaturg Heather Sell, who worked on the development of The Centipede King at the Kennedy Center