The bittersweet conclusion sends you out with a well of emotion and overall, it’s a touching tribute to a lost friend, artist, and lover.
— Maureen Lenker, Stage Raw
Speaks to the enduring, mystifying qualities of the human heart … riotously funny, with fine performances….
—Lovell Estell III, Stage Raw
The directors and cast members of each piece take this journey as if they are floating on the edge of a beautifully cascading surreal imagination…. Guaranteed to walk you out of the theater on a high note. Recommended.
— Gia on the Move
Spend an hour with Mr. Stanczyk and his friends. You won’t regret it.
— Michael Van Duzer, Stage Happenings
A heart-warming tribute to a man who was obviously loved by many. Sincere performances and a lot of humor. A genuine exploration of human idiosyncrasies that all come together to paint a picture of a man who seemed incredibly in tune with the questions we seek but often can’t find.
— Arthur Keng, the Vagrancy
Award-winning playwright Tom Stanczyk explores the absurd, the romantic and the enigmatic through the lives of seven couples in THISSIDE OF SWEETWATER. From wide-open dreamscapes through life changing celebrations to the uncertain vastness of a cool desert night, lovers fall for each other, argue, swear they can’t go on, and then … they go on.
Tom Stanczyk’s bold re-imagining of the gangster drama, BLOCKNINE, won the L.A. Weekly Theater Award Production of the Year in 2009.
Sadly, Tom passed away last fall after he was hit by a car as he crossed a street near his home. Lightning Rod Theater is producing THISSIDE OF SWEETWATER in his memory.