The Wish

by Crystal Adaway

Barbara has been wishing for the same impossible thing for twelve long, bitter years. For her 50th birthday, Barbara’s plucky daughter, Bonnie, concocts an elaborate scheme to make that wish finally come true. Will her combative sister, Lyla, bring it all crashing down? This dark comedy explores the twists and turns of family dynamics, choices, and accountability.

Barbara has been wishing for the same impossible thing for twelve long, bitter years. For her 50th birthday, Barbara’s plucky daughter, Bonnie, concocts an elaborate scheme to make that wish finally come true. Will her combative sister, Lyla, bring it all crashing down? This dark comedy explores the twists and turns of family dynamics, choices, and accountability.

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The Wish

Recommended by

  • Jean Koppen: The Wish by Crystal Adaway
    “

    This is a FUN night of theatre, in a very dark way. The set up is intriguing, the characters dynamic, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering how it's going to end. A great show for a mature audience.

    This is a FUN night of theatre, in a very dark way. The set up is intriguing, the characters dynamic, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering how it's going to end. A great show for a mature audience.

    ”
  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend: The Wish by Crystal Adaway
    “

    It's Barbara's birthday, and her daughter, Bonnie, has granted her wish! I was hooked from the moment Barbara and Lyla entered the cabin and saw what the wish was. This fun and darkly funny play hurtles along to its (surprise!) conclusion, and I loved every minute of it.

    It's Barbara's birthday, and her daughter, Bonnie, has granted her wish! I was hooked from the moment Barbara and Lyla entered the cabin and saw what the wish was. This fun and darkly funny play hurtles along to its (surprise!) conclusion, and I loved every minute of it.

    ”
  • Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn: The Wish by Crystal Adaway
    “

    I definitely said "Wooooow..." as I finished reading this play. It was funny, it was dark and practically every twist took me by surprise. Especially the end! The characters are all very rich and distinct and I guarantee audiences will all be saying "Wooooow..." at the end of each performance. This is a winner!

    I definitely said "Wooooow..." as I finished reading this play. It was funny, it was dark and practically every twist took me by surprise. Especially the end! The characters are all very rich and distinct and I guarantee audiences will all be saying "Wooooow..." at the end of each performance. This is a winner!

    ”
View all 5 recommendations
Bonnie Conrad: A bubbly woman, late-20s,
Lyla Conrad: An athletic woman, around 30, Bonnie's older sister
Barbara Conrad: A once-beautiful woman, 50, Bonnie's & Lyla's mother, has a haughty Southern accent
Richard Conrad: A scrappy man in his mid-50s, Bonnie's & Lyla's father

Development History

  • Reading, Pipeline Playwrights' Reading Series, 2019
  • Reading, Kennedy Center Page-to-Stage New Play Festival, 2018

Awards

  • Dominion Stage One-Act Playwriting Competition
    Dominion Stage, Arlington, VA
    Winner
    2023