Rob Salerno’s earliest plays marked him as a fresh new voice in Canadian theatre. This brand new collection showcases his searing wit, indelible characters, and emotional depth in a series of plays investigating what it means to be a young man today.

In the Dora Award-nominated First Day Back, a high school classroom is the setting for denial, accusations, and tortured confessions the day after a student commits suicide. In Balls, best friends Paul and Bastian learn what it means to be men as they face testicular cancer. In Big In Germany, Alex and Bruce are struggling indie rockers whose blind ambition and secret desires threaten to keep them from ever growing up. And in , John faces a decision when his high school friend Leo surprises him with a one-way ticket to Micronesia.

Rob Salerno is a Dora Award-nominated playwright and performer, and a Jeopardy! champion. His plays have been produced across Canada and in the United States and Europe.

SMASHING YOUNG MAN is available in paperback and Kindle format from Amazon and Amazon.ca. Canadians will also soon be able to order it from Indigo.ca.

You can also request your local library purchase a copy by contacting your library’s collections department.

Reviews for the plays in Smashing Young Man:

For First Day Back:

“Richly thoughtful… Salerno presents each character with emotional truth.” – Now Magazine
“From the moment I sat down, I felt like I was back in high school… It’s a thought-provoking yet entertaining piece of theatre.” – Gay Theatre Toronto
“A poignant, non-preachy, surprisingly funny work… It felt just like high school.” – Xtra

For Big In Germany:

“Sexy, clever, and laugh-out-loud funny!” – GCN Magazine Dublin, Ireland
“A delicious bit of show business satire” – Stephen Hunt, Calgary Herald

For Balls:

5 Stars — “This is theatre at its best” — Planet S (Saskatoon)
4.5 Stars — “An honest and sincere tale of friendship” — Winnipeg Sun
4.5 Stars — “Very serious, seriously hilarious” — See Magazine (Edmonton)
4 Stars — “Funny and surprisingly affecting” — Vue Weekly (Edmonton)
4 Stars — “Clever and expertly staged… Salerno shines” — Ottawa Sun
“You’d be nuts to miss this one!” — Saskatoon Star Phoenix
“The Full Package” — Hamilton View
“Must See” — Ottawa Citizen