In these days, to read or see a work animated by the classical grandeur of Plutarch’s Life of Solon is an inspiration. An important and timeless story, The Mysteries is a work of courage and beauty.
—Jennifer Clement, President Emerita PEN International

To say that The Mysteries is merely a tour de force of writerly craft would be to underestimate Bill Considine's powers as a poet. I say this because Considine works impressively, even expertly, on the level of ideas. In his stunning verse play, the nuances of technique—metaphor, juxtaposition, enjambment, caesura, silence—are placed in the service of urgent philosophical and sociohistorical questions. Here is a dialogue between history and modernity that is as timeless as it is timely, as haunting as it is faultlessly crafted.
—Kristina Marie Darling, Fulbright Scholar and author of Daylight Has Already Come

William Considine’s poetry is a treat to connoisseurs of both lyric and dramatic verse. His poetic play The Mysteries echoes classical tradition with a newly explored story. The epic range and beauty of this poetic text draws the reader into Considine’s vision of the world as it has been throughout history.
—Nina Zivancevic, Ph.D. and author of SMRTI

Playwright William Considine brings earliest history vividly to life in his verse play The Mysteries. The women’s mysteries—an ancient religious rite which celebrated the myth of Demeter and Persephone—serves as the play’s moral center for the rights of women in a world of power-obsessed men. An ancient icon, Solon, who will become known throughout history as the Lawgiver, is a poet on an idealistic quest for power which takes a bloody turn in a world of endless war, debt and enslavement. The story, use of language, and characters are all powerful and captivating.
—Rose-Marie Brandwein, director and playwright

The poetry of the play is by turns beautiful, stark, and evocative. The verse flows well from scene to scene, alternating smoothly between lyricism, discourse, and action. The subject matter is well-handled and inherently fascinating. The ending is oracular and devastating.
—Sheryl A. Holland, poet