These four plays prove The Village Voice's acclaim that Tom Donaghy has "mastered the Chekhovian tactic of having people say everything except what's on their mind". From a young man torn between the love of his family and the desire for another man to two children coming to terms with their parent aging, The Beginning of August and Other Plays showcases Donaghy's exceptional ability to bring to the surface the emotional undercurrents of quiet, working-class families faced with the reality that their children are living vastly different lives from what they had envisioned.