Watching the new play Tiny Beautiful Things at Pygmalion Theatre I couldn’t help but wonder- are advice columns still relevant in 2025? In a world where it seems like we get unending counsel from strangers about how to live our lives is the idea of writing one for advice appealing? Also the whole idea of crafting one’s problems in a letter format seems archaic. Aren’t we more likely to post a tiktok rant than write a letter? I realize the book this play is based on is a compilation of a self-help column called Dear Sugar but even that was published in 2012 and tiktok wasn’t even invented then so the question stands.

Anyway, let’s assume advice columns still exist the letters in Tiny Beautiful Things feel relevant and authentic (probably because they are in fact from actual letters.) At Pygmalion “Dear Sugar” columnist is portrayed by Tamara Howell who also directs the piece. She has a warm yet tough persona that works well for the part. It’s a tricky role because a lot of the time she’s staring at a computer but she makes it work. In fact, the entire cast has nice chemistry together. Even though they don’t really interact except through the letters to Sugar it still has a family feel to the group which keeps it from feeling too repetitive. I particularly enjoyed Matt Bennett’s work as he had some of the more emotional letters, and we don’t see men emoting as often in plays like this which I appreciated.

The production is kept simple in the black box space at the Rose Wagner downtown. Most of the space is Sugar’s home with four columns with the words from the letters on them. This lack of distraction helps the audience focus on the characters and the correspondence between them and Sugar.

I do wonder if Tiny Beautiful Things might have been better as a one act because I did start to get a little sleepy after a while. Not everything needs to be a 90 minute play after all.

Still this is a very touching play that just about anyone can relate with. It is playing through Nov 22nd and tickets can be purchased here.

Tiny Beautiful Things is based on the book by Cheryl Strayed and adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos. The Dear Sugar column ran from 2010-2012. It debuted Off-Broadway in 2016

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