Testimonials

Holy. Crap. “You don’t hear this kind of talk in the theatre. Let alone a Fringe show.” No, really. Holy crap. This might be the best Fringe show I’ve ever seen.  Christian Sullivan, DC Theatre Scene

“The show is fun and engaging, with capable performers who keep your attention. It’s a fun romp that never gets crude. Which, you know, is hard to do with a subject like this.” Amanda Erickson, Washington Post

"Oral Histories is a refreshingly open attempt at creating a way to tell sexual stories in a way that is charming, honest, and euphemism free." Erin Teachman, DC Theatrer Arts

"Expert storytelling. Funny and well varied and paced. Would love to catch this at a fringe!" Samantha Marchant, New Play Exchange

Having each scene set in a different bedroom allows for a sense of intimacy with the characters that the audience might not have in a different setting. Set in the present day, we can also see the highs and lows of modern dating with the popularization of hookup and dating apps. I also appreciated the added layer of including a conversation on sex work.

Amanda Snead, Falls Church News-Press

“What a wonderful take on wedding day jitters. The use of lighting is masterful to accelerate the story and bring big laughs. What is particularly impressive is Kay's ability to deliver incredibly deep and distinct characters in such a short amount of time. Would be great to see performed and is also an excellent play to study for fellow writers.” Cam Eickmeyer, playwright, New Play Exchange

“This was a fun show, which I saw as part of the Pittsburgh New Works Festival. Plenty of humor, but with some touching, emotional moments, too. Reversing the lighting was a clever touch (dimmed lights for when the power is on, full lights for when it's a blackout)." Hamilton Kreeger, playwright, New Play Exchange

“Fun fact: the very first play I ever performed in, back in college, was Peter Shaffer's BLACK COMEDY - so the theatrical device of inverting light (i.e. the power goes off for the characters, but the lights come to full on stage as the actors stumble about "blindly") holds a special place in my heart. Ward Kay uses this device to delightful effect in THE BRIDE IN BLACKOUT, a sweetly delightful tale of pre-wedding jitters and the folly of making plans in this chaotic world of ours. A treat!” Michael C. O'Day, playwright, New Play Exchange

“A beautiful, funny, and imaginative examination of how wedding day jitters can throw your entire world into question. An inventive use of lighting design should make this a must for any designers hungry to make light and shadow into a 5th character!” Kyle Walker, playwright, New Play Exchange

“Ward Kay literally lights up the stage in reverse order with this take on pre-wedding jitters and farce in the dark, using all the slapstick and door-slamming devices that come with it. It's a short but hilarious romp that kept me in stitches at the 2024 Valdez Theatre Conference, and should become a regular at any short play festival.” Philip Middleton Williams, playwright, New Play Exchange

“A fun short piece based around clever staging that both reflects and amplifies the theme. I enjoyed seeing it read (at the Valdez Theatre Conference) and I expect it would really shine (so to speak) in a full production.” Tom Moran, playwright, New Play Exchange

“I had the immense pleasure of catching a reading of this play at the Valdez Theatee Conference. A fun play with a novel lighting effect. All the panic of a wedding day made all the worse with the sudden loss of power. A delightful comedy about friendship, marriage, and the importance of generators.” Christopher Soucy, playwright, New Play Exchange

“This is a sad, but beautiful remembrance. As he lays dead on their bed, a wife who granted an open marriage to her husband, recalls a lot of their life. Eerie.” Marj O'Neill-Butler, playwright, New Play Exchange

"Wow, this is quite the heavy one! Excellent job! Got goosebumps more than once!" PJ Stack, viewer on Facebook

"This one was a rollercoaster! Well done all around." Hilary Carter, viewer on Facebook

"Beautifully written script. Excellent performance!" Robey Manno, viewer on Facebook

“Sweet, engaging–no pun intended–and romantic, and all right before a funeral. A heady combination, handled dexterously by Kay Ward. This ten minute piece about a young couple handling major overlapping life events, while dealing with family and relationship dynamics, encompasses so much, and so well.” Arthur M Jolly, playwright, New Play Exchange

“Sometimes losing something precious to you helps you find what you needed most. The playwright sets up a great premise and hilariously-opposed characters, then draws them together in a fitting and touching conclusion. This show would be an audience favorite in any performed showcase of short plays.” Allan Maule, playwright, New Play Exchange

“I was fortunate to see a reading of this play at the 2024 Midwest Dramatists Conference in Kansas City. Is a funeral the right time and place to come out to your family? But they're going to figure it out, aren't they? And where did that rosary go? The play has a lot of laughs throughout, but ultimately becomes a rather touching love story. ” Rand Higbee, playwright, New Play Exchange

“It's been a few days since I heard this play read at the Midwest Dramatists Conference, and I'm still chuckling every time I think of dumpster diving for Jesus. This sweet little play effectively uses humor to show a pivotal moment in a family and a relationship. Everyone wants to be accepted for who they are, and who they love; this play advocates this important story, but is cotton candy in the telling!” Alli Hartley-Kong, playwright, New Play Exchange

“This gem of a story has you thinking in one direction only to find that the Camilla's search for a missing rosary has more to it. Ward Kay's gentle approach to this story warms the heart but also makes us think that sometimes we don't get to choose when to say what we need to say, and even in a short play, we get the depth and range of emotions and character that are worthy of a full-length piece. Lovely." Philip Middleton Williams, playwright, New Play Exchange

“What a lovely piece of writing; complications of sexuality, coming out, family, timing of announcements and love all feature in this realistic duologue. Ward Kay imbues his characters with humanity and modernity and offers them dialogue which is punctuated with wit and wisdom. A delight. ” Paul Smith, playwright, New Play Exchange

“I picked a real winner with Ward Kay’s hilarious THREE TIMES A LADY. At lunch, many who’d seen Kay’s play brought up THE THREE FACES OF EVE, the 1957 film that had won Joanne Woodward an Oscar. Yes, but that was a harrowing drama, and this one was just out for fun. If THREE TIMES A LADY wends its way to Broadway and Linnea Hollingsworth comes with it, she might well win a Tony. How amazing she was in maneuvering herself from ordinary wife to a nymphomaniac to a Puritanical evangelical. Playwright Kay not only gave her the trio of distinct characters, but also the lines that got her great guffaws." Peter Filichia, Broadway Select

"Dysfunctional families are a perennial source of inspiration for writers of drama, and Kay has tapped into it to give us an Oklahoma family dealing with the aftermath of a tornado. By stripping away earthly possessions, the tornado had exposed the dysfunction, the infidelity and bitterness. It seems all is lost, but credit Mickey for refusing to take the easy way out. Maybe there's hope this family can rise like a Phoenix from the ashes." Playwright Kim E. Ruyle, New Play Exchange

"Ward Kay pulls off something darn near impossible in THE RIDE HOME - a theater story that's completely accessible to non-theater folks, while ringing hilariously true to insiders. It's the story of two married theatre professionals confronting their personal and professional issues in the wake of an awards ceremony, and every reference, every piece of gossip, every flashpoint of jealousy is absolutely spot on. Delightful." Playwright Michael C. O'Day, New Play Exchange

““It’s money, money, money, man.” This hilarious two-hander is rich with theatre references, clever word play, and sharp specificity - with a sweet, caring relationship behind it all. You don’t have to be an award-winning writer to relate to these two - it’s totally universal. Fantastic work. ” Playwright Marshall Logan Gibbs, New Play Exchange

“With incisive good humor, Kay paints a delightful two-hand portrait of a bickering couple of accomplished writers. The accessible inside-baseball of theater luminary name-dropping adds juice to this play, which was presented at the Midwest Dramatists Conference.” Playwright Donald Cooper, New Play Exchange

“ I saw a reading of this play at the 2025 Midwest Dramatists Conference in Kansas City where the audience gobbled it up. Husbands Monty and Aiden are writers who both just received honors at an awards show. They should be in great moods, but on the limo ride home they bicker about the meaning of success. Funny and insightful, this is an excellent short from Ward Kay. ” Playwright Rand Higbee, New Play Exchange