True Story

by E. M. Lewis

Everybody knows that Donnie Lawrence killed his wife. They just think he got away with it. But when mystery writer Hal Walker is hired to ghostwrite this “story of the century," Hal is determined to discover the truth -- even if he has to grapple with all his own whiskey-soaked ghosts to do it. He wants to save Donnie's daughter, Miriam. But he may not even be able to save himself. A slick, surprising, post...

Everybody knows that Donnie Lawrence killed his wife. They just think he got away with it. But when mystery writer Hal Walker is hired to ghostwrite this “story of the century," Hal is determined to discover the truth -- even if he has to grapple with all his own whiskey-soaked ghosts to do it. He wants to save Donnie's daughter, Miriam. But he may not even be able to save himself. A slick, surprising, post-modern play about true crime and terrible consequences.

“…a tense and riveting eighty minutes… Sly and smartly crafted.” -Simon Saltzman, Curtain-Up

“Though EM Lewis’s 80-minute thriller TRUE STORY pays homage to Raymond Chandler’s detective-story and film-noir tradition of the 1930s and ‘40s, the play offers a more current (cell-phone era) exploration of the genre, combining the twists and turns of a gripping murder mystery with the profound human issues of coping with loss, assuming responsibility, the nature of truth, and the desire for justice. Passage Theatre Company’s world-premiere production, directed with wit and suspense by Damon Bonetti, succeeds in delivering all the surprises, humor, emotion, and psychology inherent in the script.” -Deborah Miller, Phindie.com

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True Story

Recommended by

  • Rich Rubin: True Story

    A delightful twisty sendup with crackling dialogue and stunning wit by an absolute master of the craft. Highly recommended!

    A delightful twisty sendup with crackling dialogue and stunning wit by an absolute master of the craft. Highly recommended!

  • Ross Tedford Kendall: True Story

    A grand gothic story with modern, compelling stagecraft. Playwright Lewis delves into a mystery through her characters, bringing in their backstory at key moments while keeping you guessing right up until the end. Nothing is wasted, everything matters, and the ending both delights and shocks. A fine piece.

    A grand gothic story with modern, compelling stagecraft. Playwright Lewis delves into a mystery through her characters, bringing in their backstory at key moments while keeping you guessing right up until the end. Nothing is wasted, everything matters, and the ending both delights and shocks. A fine piece.

  • Arthur Gramm: True Story

    Reading this play feels like discovering a lost form of art you didn’t know was still possible. The way E. M. Lewis uses non-linear time and a lack of scene transition creates a work that that has the pacing to match it’s label as a “thriller”. This play goes beyond simply a “who-dun-it” and takes a good long look at why it matters. The writing is dynamic, so much so that even reading it, the characters came alive before me. This play is a thought-provoking work that provides an entirely new way to approach mystery.

    Reading this play feels like discovering a lost form of art you didn’t know was still possible. The way E. M. Lewis uses non-linear time and a lack of scene transition creates a work that that has the pacing to match it’s label as a “thriller”. This play goes beyond simply a “who-dun-it” and takes a good long look at why it matters. The writing is dynamic, so much so that even reading it, the characters came alive before me. This play is a thought-provoking work that provides an entirely new way to approach mystery.

View all 5 recommendations

Development History

  • Type Workshop, Organization Arkansas New Play Festival, Year 2013
  • Type Reading, Organization PlayFest Santa Barbara, Year 2013
  • Type Workshop, Organization Flux Theater Ensemble, Year 2012

Production History

  • Type Professional, Organization Acadiana Repertory Theatre, Year 2017
  • Type University, Organization DePaul School of Theater, Year 2015
  • Type Professional, Organization Passage Theater in Trenton, NJ, Year 2013