The Emilies by J.Stephen Brantley

Recovering addict and aspiring pop star Avery comes home to his sister Emily’s bedside following her horrific attempt at suicide. Over the course of a night he’ll fight to solve the puzzle of who his brilliant and wild-hearted sister really is – or was – and how she ended up confined to a hospital bed, connected to a ventilator. The Emilies is a story about addiction, and about recovery. Each comes with its own...
Recovering addict and aspiring pop star Avery comes home to his sister Emily’s bedside following her horrific attempt at suicide. Over the course of a night he’ll fight to solve the puzzle of who his brilliant and wild-hearted sister really is – or was – and how she ended up confined to a hospital bed, connected to a ventilator. The Emilies is a story about addiction, and about recovery. Each comes with its own set of consequences. For Avery and Emily, there may be healing but there is also, inevitably, irreparable harm.


EMILY (f, 27) is a whip-smart, wild-hearted, alcoholic manager of a record shop who by all accounts should have been so much more. She is in the hospital following a suicide attempt.

AVERY (m, 30) is Emily's brother. He is a recovering heroin addict and proudly-out aspiring pop star who’s done everything he can to escape the suburbs that so crushingly shaped him.

THERESA (f, 45) is a cheerfully capable nurse in a sprawling suburban hospital who manages her patients’ pain - and her own - with snickerdoodle cookies and the power of positive thinking.
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The Emilies

Recommended by

  • Cheryl Bear:
    23 Nov. 2021
    “ A revealing look at the rocky journey of recovery and how we relate to our loved ones and ourself as we go through it. Well done. ”
  • Nick Malakhow:
    6 May. 2020
    “ A touching and well-crafted play that explores a complex and evolving relationship between two sympathetic characters. Brantley has crafted likeable folks in Avery and Emily, who earn our loyalty, even as we see them sabotage themselves and their connections with other. I love the way the piece maintains a physical unity of space while winding back and forth through time. There is a lot of room here for creative staging and stage pictures, and for interesting use of design elements to establish and maintain the heightened theatrical world. The ending caught me off guard with its poignant ambiguity. ”
  • Rachael Carnes:
    7 Feb. 2020
    “ This play explores the passage of time, the paths not taken, and the way for some, emotional self-protection can endure the worst, but in that momentary response, might impede growth. Brantley brings a hopeful message within a play with increasing extremes – there’s a sense of connection between and among the characters, that’s ultimately about self-acceptance. This play grabbed me and kept me right with it, start to finish. ”
View all 4 recommendations

EMILY (f, 28) is a whip-smart, wild-hearted, alcoholic manager of a record shop who by all accounts should have been so much more. She is in the hospital following a suicide attempt.

AVERY (m, 32) is Emily's brother. He is a recovering heroin addict and proudly-out aspiring pop star who’s done everything he can to escape the suburbs that so crushingly shaped him.

THERESA (f, 45) is a cheerfully capable nurse in a sprawling suburban hospital who manages her patients’ pain - and her own - with snickerdoodle cookies and the power of positive thinking.

Development History

  • Commission
    ,
    Kid Brooklyn Productions
    ,
    2017