An official selection

​Winner of the Planet Connections Award for Outstanding Playwriting of a New Script

"In an age where the family dynamic is being redefined in our society, 
Mark Jason Williams' new play is a biting family comedy that explores 
LGBT themes and family loyalty.  A Fringe show that will get you talking." 

"Barbs fly, hurt feelings are exposed...and the script’s zingers keep us laughing."

"One of the best new plays of the year. This work is extremely well written: a vivid, larger-than-life, tragicomedies where our emotions turn on a dime as the characters battle each other and, more fundamentally, themselves. This is definitely a piece you'll want to check out for yourself, especially if you're interested in tracing the great American Family Drama from the days of another Williams (Tennessee) through the world of Inge and Albee right up to the more contemporary incarnations of Tracey Letts and Richard Greenberg. This Williams spins his tale with equal parts compassion, wit, and danger."

Intense and personal...rather than heating up the stale clichés of family drama, Mark Jason Williams serves up a fresh and funny take on how complicated it can get when it comes to your own flesh and blood. Every character’s dialogue is consistently sharp and delivered with flair — making this a highly quotable show whose dialogue you might find yourself incorporating into conversation for days, perhaps weeks, to come.

 "Passionate, biting and deeply funny, Straight Faced Lies is equal parts fresh and familiar. What is more relatable than the madness of an American family dinner during the holidays? Lead by the comfortable and naturally funny dialogue of Williams’ script, it’s hard to not be drawn in right from the get-go. Fundamentally, Straight Faced Lies is about the bad we do to ourselves and each other, often driven by love, other times driven by selfishness. Thanks to honesty in the writing, it’s a show that dodges the cliché and stays fresh.

"5 Stars; a Pick of the Fringe! The witty comedy offers up a Thanksgiving tale rife with familial induced chaos. As the story unfolds, challenging questions surrounding shame, deception, and utter insanity are seamlessly woven together. The dialogue was rich with puns for days. Each scene had an obvious intention, not one word was wasted, developed characters pulled the audience deeper into the family’s epic failures. It was obvious to me that the script was the foundation for the phenomenal show. Straight Faced Lies certainly left me craving more.”

"Straight Faced Lies is an all-around success. Despite the serious plotline of a broken family hashing out the past, Straight Faced Lies is hilarious – filled with puns, one-liners and innuendos that showcase playwright Williams’ talent and sense of humor.  

"An excellent comedy / drama...what is refreshing and wonderful about Straight Faced Lies is that it ends honestly, a tribute to writer Mark Jason Williams. The creative team trusts the audience to realize that life can be messy and still enjoyable.

"A relatable triumph...Mark Jason Williams has crafted a play full of acerbic wit, 
biting comebacks, and plenty of family backstabbing.  Snappy dialogue, superior plotting, and powerful use of space make "Straight Faced Lies" a delight."

A smart, well-written, humorous, and intricate script. The twists and turns in this hilarious drama is a testament to the strong writing of Mark Jason Williams."

An interview with the cast and creative Team
of Straight Faced Lies in the New York International Fringe Festival

The Washington Blade Covers Straight Faced Lies in the Capital Fringe Festival