Hopeless Romantic

A Play

By: Steven Kunes

Narrated by: Marty Krz, Jessie Maldonado

A famous author goes to the airport and finds himself seated beside an unknown woman who is reading his latest book. Unbeknownst to him, the woman has admired his work for years. This is her big chance! Should she speak to him? What will she say?

©2007, 2018, 2019 Steven Kunes (P)2020 Steven Kunes

Grrreat!

I really loved it! Well-drawn characters! Well-performed! Built Nicely! Being a Hopeless Romantic myself, I hope they both finally found Love :)

A welcome respite from 2020!

Hopeless Romantic was a welcome break from daily life. It was exquisitely performed and paced just right for the cadence of the story.

A fine old wine in a new bottle

This meditative examination of love and attachment takes place in the most unromantic of settings - the departure lounge of an airport. A grouchy author has an unexpected encounter with a long time fan. The device of an accidental meeting developing into a romantic entanglement has been used in many books and films, but Steven Kunes creates a new and compelling perspective through the lengthy introductory soliloquies which form the bulk of the play. Skilfully performed by narrators Marty Krz and Jessie Maldonado whose respective presentations of world-weary disaffection and ingenuous devotion really bring the drama to life. Highly recommended.

Great readers and good read!

The readers of this piece make you feel as if you’re really experiencing their thoughts. They help to carry this story through whereas the printed words might allow you to be distracted into your own thoughts, thereby missing the important distractions of the characters themselves. Overall, a great summer beach read! Satisfying and delightful.

Enjoyable story

The characters were rich with background. I felt like I knew them for years. The story was easy, fun, and enjoyable to listen to. I was taken on a satisfying journey.

A good play - but an even better audio book!

Usually, when I listen to an audio drama, I find myself thinking about how it could be adapted to the stage. In this case, I found myself thinking that the audio book format is instead the best possible way to experience this story.

It's a touching, sweet story about two people finding themselves later in life, and how they possibly find each other. But in many ways the fact that they spend the majority of the time thinking about how the other person would react instead of actually talking works beautifully.

Both of the actors/readers are perfectly cast for the piece, and you can feel the personalities of the character in every line.

It was a great listen, and the perfect length for a long commute or a long afternoon of running errands. Definitely worth checking out!

Engaging....unique approach to two people meeting

Two well developed characters take you through their lives connected by the authors books. It kept me interested from beginning to end. A good narra6er can make or break an audio book, and these two make it. The narration is honest. moves the story along and helps you to hear inside the characters heads. I'f you are a "hopeless romantic" it is certainly worth a listen.

it's hopelessly romantic

Hopeless Romantic is just that, hopelessly romantic, this warm charming tale of two strangers thrown together by fate and coincidence made me a hopeless romantic. Nicely produced and wonderfully portrayed by the actors I couldn't wait for the outcome I wanted these folks to get together but I didn't want the story to end.

Simple Complexity

Hopeless Romantic is one of those stories that reminds you how fulfilling a play can be once you free yourself of outside distractions and commit your time to embracing the present moment. Its beauty is found in both its simple concept (sitting in an airport, waiting for a plane to arrive) and complex character study of two people who rediscover passion in serendipitous fashion.

Enter a world of "nostalgia for what might happen"

Take a listen to "Hopeless Romantic" and escape into a world of "nostalgia for what might happen."

While the whole story takes place between two strangers in an airport who speak only a few sentences to each other for the entirety of the story, I was amazed with how much I felt by the end that I knew Michael Hanley and Beth Summerland. Steven Kunes does a fantastic job of creating these two characters using only their inner monologues as guides. As listeners, we have the advantage of being able to peek into both of their thoughts, and at times, you may find yourself like me - wanting to reach into your audio device to shake them and say "Go for it! Say something!" Simultaneously, as I want to shake these characters to give them the confidence to speak up, I found myself thinking of my own experiences of sitting near someone and having that strong, magnetic desire to say something, but fear getting the better of me to do so.

Kunes' use of foods and flavors add a fun and tasty mood to the story as well, creating an even fuller world existing inside the characters' minds as they wait in the airport for their flights. One of my favorite ancillary characters has the nickname of "Martini Olive," which caused me to smile every time she was mentioned.

Narrators Marty Krz as Michael and Jessie Maldonado as Beth create a soundscape that allowed me to fall into the story easily and imagine the characters very vividly!

If you've ever let you imagination and fantasy drift off into the world of "what might happen" (and most of us do!), this story is for you. Witty, fun, scrumptious, and at times incredibly touching and sad, "Hopeless Romantic" is the perfect story to listen to while on a long drive, sitting on the beach, or at a coffee shop.

I highly recommend!