Dear Helena

by Rachel Lynett

In a loose adaptation of ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL, friends surprise Helena by throwing her a divorce party. Though the intention is to celebrate being free from a toxic man, the women share a time when they assumed all would end well and the reasons why we accept the love we think we deserve.

In a loose adaptation of ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL, friends surprise Helena by throwing her a divorce party. Though the intention is to celebrate being free from a toxic man, the women share a time when they assumed all would end well and the reasons why we accept the love we think we deserve.

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Dear Helena

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  • Cheryl Bear: Dear Helena by Rachel Lynett
    “

    For anyone who has been through heartbreak, this play will have you cheering for recovery from trauma and not to wait anymore to move forward in our lives. Well done.

    For anyone who has been through heartbreak, this play will have you cheering for recovery from trauma and not to wait anymore to move forward in our lives. Well done.

    ”
  • Nick Malakhow: Dear Helena by Rachel Lynett
    “

    I loved this piece both as its own story exploring the mechanisms and structures that drive and perpetuate unhealthy and toxic relationships, as well as for what it does with the Shakespearean source material and the confounding relationship between Helena and Diana. The conversations felt both natural and slightly heightened in an engaging and theatrical way. The struggle of each character felt fully honored and seen, and the piece ended cathartically and with a look forward, liberating Helena from the ironically problematic ending of "All's Well..."

    I loved this piece both as its own story exploring the mechanisms and structures that drive and perpetuate unhealthy and toxic relationships, as well as for what it does with the Shakespearean source material and the confounding relationship between Helena and Diana. The conversations felt both natural and slightly heightened in an engaging and theatrical way. The struggle of each character felt fully honored and seen, and the piece ended cathartically and with a look forward, liberating Helena from the ironically problematic ending of "All's Well..."

    ”
  • Tristan B Willis: Dear Helena by Rachel Lynett
    “

    I read this play after receiving a message from an ex I hadn't spoken to in 4+ years, somehow the perfect mood to dive in with. Lynett handles adaptation so deftly - if you know the source material you feel in on a secret, but foreknowledge isn't at all necessary to understanding the play or characters. As the friends recounted their tales of love and trauma, I felt invited to the table, cake in my fist. '...I think we all deserve so much better than what we’ve been handed. No. That’s not it. More than what we've accepted.’

    I read this play after receiving a message from an ex I hadn't spoken to in 4+ years, somehow the perfect mood to dive in with. Lynett handles adaptation so deftly - if you know the source material you feel in on a secret, but foreknowledge isn't at all necessary to understanding the play or characters. As the friends recounted their tales of love and trauma, I felt invited to the table, cake in my fist. '...I think we all deserve so much better than what we’ve been handed. No. That’s not it. More than what we've accepted.’

    ”
View all 4 recommendations