This evening I watched the performance Employee of the Year. I can’t call it a play because it’s deliverance and cast were so unique. Instead of having millions of dollars worth of props, costumes and sets all they had were their shadows and a carpet. They still managed to convey a beautiful and heart wrenching story. The five girls switched off, each playing a different part of J’s life. The many time jumps and opinions meld together to form a perfectly intense story about a girl’s life long search for her mother.

- Beatriz Santos, age 10

Tonight I saw the play Employee of the Year. It was an extremely thoughtful and poignant production, and even after the show I’m thinking about it a lot. Even though the only thing on the stage other than the incredible actresses was a carpet, I could very vividly picture the story of J’s life of longing and searching unfold thanks to the actresses’ powerful yet stark voices and emotional, confrontational, sometimes even uncomfortable movements. The girls were impressive and strong in their actions and voices, and the play would have been (literally) nothing if not for their understanding of their roles and ability to perform them so well. It was a very interesting experience to see someone who is about my age act with such intensity and power. The actresses had a special energy between them; I could tell that they knew what they were doing and how to do it well. Personally, my favorite part was seeing the girls sort of barely giggle during the dance scene in the middle-ish of the play, because the way the lines are said by the girls is very emotionless and flat, and seeing them act like actual kids was refreshing and relieving! I still have a lot of questions, though, specifically about Candela’s part. It felt very abstract and I am curious to know why it was included. I liked the image of her going to bed in Brooklyn and wondering if she’ll remember being in the play, however. The girls were really excellent singers, and I appreciated how well placed the songs were & how their tone matched the mood of the production. Overall, Employee of the Year was unlike anything I had ever seen before, making me think about life and searching and the power that kids have to convey emotion in unusual ways and understand deep topics. Thank you, On the Boards!

- Lucia Santos, age 13