From <r...........8@yahoo.com>                                                                                            Saturday, January 19, 2019

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Dear Ms. Symons,

 

My name is [R..........n]. I found your email through your website. I live in Chicago where I regularly attend the theatre. While in St. Petersburg a few weeks ago, after reading the delightfully quirky and bittersweet description of your play, I decided to attend the reading of The People Downstairs at American Stage. 

 

In all of the years I've been going to the theatre I've never felt the urge to reach out to a playwright after seeing a reading or production... until now. Your play moved me to tears within the first ten minutes and by the end I was so overcome with emotion that I ran to call my 82 year old mother and 28 year old daughter back in Chicago. What's so remarkable is that, despite being so moved, it's one of the funniest plays I've seen in quite some time. To say I laughed through tears is an understatement. Although I found myself suppressing laughter in order not to miss a single moment of your exquisite storytelling. 

 

You are a gifted writer with a profound understanding of humanity, a beautiful grasp of language and an uncanny ability to convey emotion with your words. The idea that some of us are more susceptible to life than others is very moving. It's not often that I see a play that I see myself and my family in the way I saw 'us' in your characters. Miles need to send his old-soul daughter out into the world to spread her wings is both tragic and hopeful and something every parent can relate to. And sweet, well-meaning Todd is maybe one of the most endearing characters I've seen on any stage. He is indeed the Prince Charming of the 21st Century.  

 

I don't know what your future production plans are with this play but I hope to see it in Chicago-area theatres very soon! Our audiences would love your sharp sense of comedy mixed and pathos. I thought of Steppenwolf in particular as a future home for your play. I will keep an eye out for The People Downstairs and any other plays that you write. 

 

Thank you for writing your beautiful story.

 

Best regards,

 

[R..........n]

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