“A guy walks into a bar and orders two beers, one for himself and one for his absent buddy. Yes, it sounds like the set-up for a joke, but with his chilling new play, YANKEE TAVERN, the prolific Steven Dietz has something darker and more sobering in mind. Dietz is a master of smart dialogue and wily storytelling. He draws us in with characters that intrigue, but the stories they spin can do a number on our beliefs and leave us shattered. The American theater has a rich tradition of barroom plays, of which YANKEE TAVERN now becomes a part. Here’s a toast to Dietz and his play, which should work its way through the nation’s new play network with the staying power of a juicy conspiracy theory.” —Palm Beach Arts Paper.
“YANKEE TAVERN is one helluva show. You’ll be scared by the intimations of Act One. You’ll be moved by the awful events of Act Two. And when the terrible day is discussed, you will hear the millennium’s fresh ghosts rattling through the walls of the theater…and feel their unhappy gaze beaming from the tavern’s smudged, stained-glass windows.” —Palm Beach New Times.
“YANKEE TAVERN is a cousin to John Patrick Shanley’s
Doubt: The play isn’t really about what did or didn’t happen; it’s about the agony of uncertainty. The play’s lightning flashes come from Dietz’s insights into Americans’ obsession with conspiracies.” —Miami Herald.
“A superb playwright…an edge-of-your-seat thriller.” —Palm Beach Daily News.