We're not the only ones who think that Nick Gandiello (Oceanside playwright) is an exciting new playwright. Check out these words of praise...
Melia Bensussen, Oceanside Director:
"Nick writes with a voice of experience and wisdom beyond his chronological age. He has captured in OCEANSIDE the tensions in growing up - and I do not mean growing up from childhood - but rather the challenges in being an adult and a parent. His plays remind me in some ways of Ibsen: a moral argument is posed at the center, and the difficulties of living a Good life, in the sense of being responsible and caring are at the core of his work. Nick also has a great ear for the class differences and choices in our contemporary society, and a great ability to capture the idiosyncrasies of character in all his creations. There is humor in the storytelling, and a sense of this is how life is when you look at it closely. I am a big believer in art holding up the mirror to our natures, and I am thrilled to have discovered Nick¹s writing for he does this in a fresh, honest and intelligent way."
Robert Eagan, Artistic Director/Producer, Ojai Playwrights Conference:
"Nick Gandiello is one of the most exciting young voices in American Theatre today. He is tremendously skilled in his craft, but what sets him apart is his searing, compelling subject matter. He cares deeply about race and class in America. He cares deeply about the legacy of anxiety and anger in blue collar Americans as they are slowly marginalized and minimized in the economic food chain. He cares deeply how this angst is being passed on to a younger generation challenged with building the new America. Nick reminds me of a very contemporary, hip-hop version of Arthur Miller and Eugene O'Neill."
Christopher Shinn, Obie-winning Playwright:
"Having met Nick when he was a student at the New School for Drama, I can say with authority that from the beginning he was writing with absolute authenticity about the places he grew up and the people he knew. His craft has developed over the years but that deep sense of truth remains the same. Nick investigates real lives with sensitivity, subtlety, and vividness -- all structured by a commitment to honesty on every level. At the same time, he spins a good yarn, with a unique focus on the violence lurking in our communities, our relationships, and ourselves."
Emily Shooltz, Associate Artistic Director, Ars Nova:
We met Nick in the fall of 2011 when he was selected through a rigorous open application process to join our emerging writers group, Play Group. Nick’s writing stood out in an especially competitive application year for it’s sinewy language, sharp point of view and offbeat humor. Each successive play he has shared has further honed his complex, smart sense of character and place. As I’ve gotten to know Nick’s work better, I’ve been particularly impressed by his ear for dialogue and the keen specificity in his storytelling. Nick also exhibits an impressive breadth of perspective—he writes a wide array of character types, ages and backgrounds authentically, and his work always feels grounded in emotional truth. He creates characters with grit and complexity, treating even the most flawed among them with compassion. He can write a sweeping rap anthem and a sweet teenage love scene with equal elegance, the rare writer who has one foot in unflinching realism and the other in the poetic magic of theater. As an emerging playwright, Nick’s level of craft is exciting, as is his dedication to stretching and refining his abilities. He is a young writer whose star is on the rise--definitely one to watch!"
