As a kid, I was the one who got the weird looks from other kids—and even grownups—when I questioned something too hard, delved too deep, debated too much, tried to figure out the why of it from a deep human place. It wasn’t until I began writing plays that I found a place to put all those thoughts, and not only put them, but put them in a place where they make sense, a place where I can not only ask the questions, but also get other people to consider them. Where I can put forth an uncomfortable truth, even if it's through history or comedy or adaptation. For a long time, my work centered on posing myriad complicated questions and asking audiences to consider all sides.
The pandemic made me realize something else at the core of having been the kid who always got weird looks, was mocked and bullied, who always felt on the outside: a desperate need for connection. And when you connect asking the complicated question to that, you end up with the grandmama of all questions: why do we find it so difficult to connect with people who are not like us? This feels to me like an extension of all I’ve written before, a discovery of the theme that underlies everything and which continues to drive my work. Read More
SCRIPT FEEDBACK & CAREER COACHING SERVICE
Donna Hoke offers page-by-page script analysis and career coaching for a reasonable fee. If interested, please inquire at donna@donnahoke.com.
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Our readers responded to ELEVATOR GIRL’s sharply imagined world and its use of comedic and comic book genres to explore difficult contemporary issues.”
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BRILLIANT WORKS OF ART is impeccably structured, contains rich and witty dialogue, and fully -developed, complex characters. Abby and Grant are fiercely unapologetic as they navigate the fascinating world of love, sex, and power. Donna Hoke bravely tells an honest and bold story. In addition to keeping the audience on their toes, Brilliant Works of Art asks important questions that will keep the audience thinking and talking.”
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Award winning local playwright Donna Hoke is certainly “the real deal,” completely immersed in the theatrical/literary scene and she’s been very, very busy. This summer I also attended a workshop production of Hoke’s HEARTS OF STONE and then later a reading of TEACH and so I can reassure you that we’re going to be enjoying her plays well into the future.”
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Playwright Hoke can write…dialogue flows naturally, real people saying real things… The story has verve, it lives and breathes.
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Hoke arguably evokes such current writers as Sarah Ruhl or Paula Vogel, women who often locate the untold stories that lie just beneath the surface of what seems to be going on.”
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In the stunning ELEVATOR GIRL, Hoke fearlessly takes on more issues than can be counted--rape, consent, body image, "good guys," feminism, misogyny, the patriarchy--but she does it with a feather light touch that later feels like a super-powered punch in the jaw. This is a play that needs to be performed on a REGULAR BASIS for people of all ages, all genders, and all races. ELEVATOR GIRL is the kind of play that will receive a standing ovation everywhere it's performed because audiences won't be able to help it--and then they will discuss it deep into the night.”
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Hoke’s writing is clever and intellectual... [Her] greatest triumph is that while the subject matter of the piece is obvious, she... is not heavy-handed... allowing audiences to draw their own feelings based on the human experiences they witness. The production is thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking.”
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Hoke manages to avoid clichés and sentimentality throughout, even though the situation at the heart of her text would readily lend itself to tear-floods. Instead, she concentrates on fluctuating emotions and on sharp dialogue, while intimating that old habits will hardly ever die.”
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Donna Hoke writes dialogue brilliantly, a natural flow, pauses, spurts, silent moments speaking volumes.”
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FLOWERS IN THE DESERT is a beautiful journey of growth and redemption as Britt and Joe discover who they are, as a couple and as individuals, while trying to rebuild their relationship. Hoke has created real, flawed people in this moving and funny two hander.”
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Donna has crafted a really complex and lovely story that deals with a lot of things we might see in life but pass judgment about. Her use of characters and nuance in the relationships make it a delicious piece of theatre and with 3 actors, [BRILLIANT WORKS OF ART] it is very easy to produce on a shoestring budget. It is unexpected and sexy and a pleasure to dive into as a director and artist.”
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The Couple Next Door is humorous and topical and hot. There are a lot of laughs, but Donna Hoke treats these characters with a lot of sensitivity and humanity, as well.”
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[In TEACH], fascinating and complex relationship and gender dynamics are explored through the unfolding drama between principal, teacher, and high school student. Using the premise of a principal interviewing a teacher (and former love-interest) about the possibility of engaging in an underage affair, Hoke masterfully challenges us to explore our own biases and assumptions about identity, gender, power, love, truth, and lies, as she weaves together a surprising narrative with a fascinating twist. Wonderful writing and a uniquely thought-provoking evening at the theatre. Our audience loved it.”
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A standout play---period. I've read lots of plays this season set in a school where there are questionable actions between teachers/students, but often the action gets mired in a lot of back-and-forth accusations. [TEACH] stays active and present, showing, not just telling. It questions all the small, subtle interactions, but also shows us the cycles of abuse of power. Definitely easy to produce and more theatrical---stop producing OLEANNA and choose this play instead!”
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With plays like Seeds, The Couple Next Door, and Safe, she examines the anxieties of modern living with palpable apprehension about the future, and in that regard, would seem to be the quintessential Buffalo playwright—but with far more foreboding than A. R. Gurney and far less innocent merriment than Tom Dudzick.”
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"Flowers in the Desert” by Donna Hoke is disguised as a simple piece of drama about relationships. In some moments it is funny, touching and sometimes raw. But what it really is, is anything but simple.”
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There’s enough in Hoke’s perceptive dialogue to convey the gist of the situation and lead to a moving conclusion... a well thought-out play with a unique ending.”
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Outstanding way to tackle the thorny issues of mentorship and professional boundaries. This writer clearly excels at taking tough, complex issues and turning them into a sensational theatrical experience. Add [TEACH] to your reading list today.”