A Story that Happens

“A master class in surviving through art.” ― Margaret Gray, The Los Angeles Times 

“Powerful . . . . This is a book for our times. It reminds us that theatre is ‘fractured and failing yet struggling towards the mouth’s translation of the heart’s tongue’. Like [O’Brien], we buzz with the desire for the ‘chance for more life, and for that most valued of theatrical currencies – change’.” ― Alice Jolly, The Times Literary Supplement 

"Subtly weaving between sometimes harrowing personal reminiscences and perceptive and astute lessons on the art of dramatic writing, the book is a quiet revelation.” ― Caridad Svich, Contemporary Theatre Review 

"Part memoir, part philosophy, part pragmatic advice for young writers, [these essays] read like a master class in surviving through art."—Los Angeles Times "All the essays were written during the tumultuous Trump years, a period of bombastic rage, where the truth was not only clouded but disrespected . . . O'Brien does an unforgettable job accompanying the reader through the prism of his life experiences, offering more than mere lessons." ― Jonas Schwartz-Owen, Broadway World