STAGES OF CHRISTMAS

THE SEATTLE TIMES, Janet I-Chin Tu
“…well crafted, enjoyable show…”
“The original sketches…are small marvels…”

THE SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, Roberta Penn
“There is a Christmas spirit that lies buried under this season of commercial frenzy. …Sean Gaffney, Karen Lund and Andrew Harding have dug it out and put it onstage as the “Stages of Christmas,” which features the spirit as one of love, giving, selflessness and good cheer.”

MOREAU

LOS ANGELES TIMES, Lynne Heffley
“Sean R. Gaffney wrote the literate, taut script.”
“…it’s riveting stuff, created not only to entertain but also to challenge…”

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, Joe Adcock
“’Moreau’ is a rapping good tale, full of the peculiar characters and fantastic incidents that make Victorian literature such fun.”
“Gaffney has elaborated Wells in clever ways.”

SEATTLE WEEKLY, John Longenbaugh
“…inventive dramatization…”
“…mixture of philosophical debate and old-fashioned chiller…”
“…this graft of thinker and thriller is a success.”

SCIFIDIMENSIONS.COM, John C. Snider
“Where the play really shines is in writer Sean Gaffney’s dramatic exploration of disturbing issues…”
“A surprising amount of clever humor…”
“…captivating and thought-provoking…”
“…as relevant today as it was a hundred years ago…”
“Playwright Sean Gaffney doesn’t shy away from the big questions.”
“…no doubt there were enthusiastic discussions on many a drive home!”

THE H.G. WELLS SOCIETY, THE AMERICAS, Charles Keller
“…Gaffney’s script demonstrates a strong understanding of the questions of scientific ethics Wells focused on …”
“This is not just mindless entertainment.”
“Theatre is a new place where the work of H.G. Wells appears to be thriving – and lucky for us since it seems we cannot count on Hollywood’s elite to “get it right.””
“The production is quite remarkable…”
“…thoroughly impressed with Gaffney’s script…”

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“H.G. Wells’s1896 novel makes a fine transition (worlds away from the ghastly feature film) to the stage in this production…”
“Weighty issues – what differentiates humans from the beasts, nature vs. nurture and Darwinism vs. religion or creationism quickly jump to the foreground.”

PAHOM’S LAND (HOW MUCH LAND DOES A MAN NEED?)

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS
“…well-crafted adaptation…”
“…visually stunning and vividly wrought…”

LOS ANGELES TIMES
“…the unpretentious humor and narrative are effective.”

THE MAN THAT CORRUPTED HADLEYBURG

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION'S BOOKLIST MAGAZINE
“…first-rate adaptation…”
“…tongue-in-cheek characters convey Twain’s biting satire while still driving home messages of honesty and hypocrisy…”
“…this fine production is a prime selection for school and public library collections.”

PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY, Shannon Maughan
“…viewers will be swept up in this thought-provoking production…”

FOOLISH WISEMAN

From Taproot Theatre’s Touring production
“Terrific!”
“Was very entertaining & yet had a definite message.”
“It was kickin!”
“We had 225 youth in attendance. All stated that it was fantastic. Beyond what we expected!!”

CHRISTMAS ON THE ORPHEUM CIRCUIT

THE SEATTLE TIMES
“A nostalgic, cheerfully implausible new musical… the show boasts some genuinely humorous moments…”

LARRYBOY IN LEGGO MY EGO

ALL MOVIE GUIDE
“…an episode that combines high-spirited humor with valuable lessons…”

AMAZON.COM REVIEWS
“This Larry Boy cartoon is simply put "ONE OF THE BEST!" …my little girl couldn't stop laughing! Fun for the entire family!”
“Installment #2 in the Larryboy Cartoon Adventure Series is truly terrific! The villains ("The Alchemist"and "Mother Pearl") are brilliant baddies…”
“Episode 2 in the new Larryboy series is a treat and a half! Recommended to kids and adults alike!”
“…Love "The Alchemist"! My kids couldn't stop laughing at the terrific dialogue. The second Larryboy is even better than the first!”

LARRYBOY AND THE EMPEROR OF ENVY

AMAZON.COM REVIEWS
“Even five stars isn't enough for this book!”
“I gave this book to my first grade son on a recent trip. He sat engrossed for the entire 5 hour flight - this is the first book he has read cover to cover.”

TEACHING QUOTES (Student response)

From Taproot Studio Classes
“Very inspiring.”
“Excellent!”
“Pertinent, accessible and so helpful.”
“Best class I’ve taken.”
“Blessed my socks off. Hard to top this one.”
“Awesome! Woo! Hoo!”

From Lillenas National Conference

PLAYWRITING: STRUCTURE

"The instructor was excellent in every way."
"Excellent instructor, really knew his topic and how to present it."
"Great instructor! Very knowledgeable, relates well to students. I learned a lot, took a lot of notes."
"Wonderful! Lots of solid info."
"Excellent breakdown and academic approach."
"Standing room only – but I got a seat this time!"
"Great class."

PLAYWRITING: DEVELOPING CHARACTERS

"Well versed – solid teacher."
"Would love to hear more from Sean Gaffney – even if same classes were offered. I missed his others. He was very practical and passionate."
"I learned SO much."

PLAYWRITING: EVALUATING & REWRITING A SCRIPT

"Instructor is organized, prepared, and forms great rapport with class."
"Very helpful information. I love Sean’s spirit."
"I’ve taken these writing classes before – the instructor brought freshness to the topic."
"Sean was a great teacher and has strong credibility."
"Again – great teacher – well prepared, easy to follow and learn from."
"Excellent! A lot to take home and digest."
"Sean is a fantastic instructor."
"Again, I learned SO much."
"I appreciated the internet reference and other resources in all of Sean Gaffney’s workshops."

PLAYWRITING: WRITING DIALOGUE THAT SOUNDS RIGHT
"Instructor really helped me identify good writing and why it is good."
"Knows his stuff and presents it well."
"Sean is great! I’ve learned so much from him and it’s pretty much all common sense."Great teacher."
"Informative, well-organized, practical."
"Learned a lot."
"Great use of film clips to show example of main parts.
"Gaffney was by far the best speaker I have heard at these conferences. Knowledgeable, funny, authentic. What a writing source. You should think about bringing him in as a special speaker."