FERTILE GROUND by Jennifer O'Grady

2022 Semifinalist for the O'Neill Conference, Princess Grace Award/New Dramatists Fellowship and Panndora's Box

(Full length) Novelist Leigh wants a baby but struggles with unexplained miscarriages. Her younger sister Olivia, a parent and psychologist on the tenure track, is having trouble finishing her new study of maternal filicide due to one of her subjects, whose motivations are...
2022 Semifinalist for the O'Neill Conference, Princess Grace Award/New Dramatists Fellowship and Panndora's Box

(Full length) Novelist Leigh wants a baby but struggles with unexplained miscarriages. Her younger sister Olivia, a parent and psychologist on the tenure track, is having trouble finishing her new study of maternal filicide due to one of her subjects, whose motivations are disturbingly unclear. Leigh's husband Max wants to be done with fertility treatments so that he and Leigh can move on. As Olivia and Max begin leaning on each other for support, Leigh begins writing a novel about filicide, and fact and fiction begin to collide and will have devastating consequences. A new play about motherhood, including its darker side.
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FERTILE GROUND

Recommended by

  • Brynn Hambley:
    11 May. 2024
    “ A chilling almost-thriller that shows how deep people's capacity for selfishness can go. It's incredibly complex, but also doesn't excuse any of the character's awful actions. I felt on the edge of my seat as I read, wondering just how far the characters would go to either get what they wanted or deal (very poorly) with their circumstances. A brilliant play that I also think would work very well as a film! ”
  • Nora Louise Syran:
    18 Apr. 2024
    “ As a mother, a sister, a wife and writer, this play was so intensely relatable. But one does not have to be a woman or hopeful mother to understand the hold that grief, desire, depression, and longing have on us. I was immersed immediately from the start and the story does not let go. It is haunting and yet hopeful; naturalistic in its dialogue and yet darkly poetic. "Whenever there’s unconditional love, they take advantage." Brava, playwright. ”
  • Rich Rubin:
    16 Apr. 2024
    “ An absolutely riveting drama about the tangled web of family, and the profound level of harm often inflicted by those who are closest to us. Jennifer O'Grady takes us on a narrative ride that provides surprises at every turn, yet -- by the end -- makes total sense. Brilliant! ”
View all 12 recommendations

Character Information

4 actors; some doubling

  • Leigh
    Early 40s,
    a woman
    A novelist struggling with infertility
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Olivia
    Late 30s,
    a woman
    Leigh's sister. A psychologist and parent
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Max
    Early 40s,
    a man
    Leigh's husband. A graphic designer
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Willa
    20s or 30s,
    a woman
    An incarcerated woman
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Guard
    40s,
    a man
    Played by the actor who plays MAX
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Playwrights Thriving
    ,
    2024

Awards

Semi-Finalist
,
Princess Grace Award in Playwriting/Fellowship at New Dramatists
,
2022
Semi-Finalist
,
Panndora's Box New Works Festival
,
Panndora Productions
,
2022
Finalist
,
Bechdel Group Reading Workshop
,
2022