Mad Girls

by Evalena Lakin

Eileen and Ruthie have always been different. Growing up Jewish smack dab in the middle of the Bible Belt tends to do that to a person. But Eileen survives her torturous adolescence, escaping to Chicago the first chance she gets, while Ruthie stays behind. Eileen blossoms and blooms in her new life, but Ruthie remains the same, stuck firmly in the past. As we jump about in time and space, we see Eileen finally...

Eileen and Ruthie have always been different. Growing up Jewish smack dab in the middle of the Bible Belt tends to do that to a person. But Eileen survives her torturous adolescence, escaping to Chicago the first chance she gets, while Ruthie stays behind. Eileen blossoms and blooms in her new life, but Ruthie remains the same, stuck firmly in the past. As we jump about in time and space, we see Eileen finally return to her hometown on the day of a family tragedy, only to discover that her sister is no longer the ally she thought she was.
A play about madness. About hermit crabs. About grief.

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Mad Girls

Recommended by

  • Chris Vanderark: Mad Girls by Evalena Lakin
    “

    This play made me laugh a lot and also filled me with a lot of sadness. I love plays about unconventional families because nothing is predictable and nothing is a given. Mad Girls is part Ghost Story and part Tragedy - - with a hopeful ending that deals with grief and how we handle it. A great two-hander for two young actors.

    This play made me laugh a lot and also filled me with a lot of sadness. I love plays about unconventional families because nothing is predictable and nothing is a given. Mad Girls is part Ghost Story and part Tragedy - - with a hopeful ending that deals with grief and how we handle it. A great two-hander for two young actors.

    ”
  • Brian James Polak: Mad Girls by Evalena Lakin
    “

    I just saw Mad Girls in a workshop production in Chicago. It's a moving play about grief, loss, love, and the struggle to find your true self in the madness of life. Mad Girls shows us there is no one way to cope with death and trauma, but it's the trying that matters and that is what I found to be so powerful.

    I just saw Mad Girls in a workshop production in Chicago. It's a moving play about grief, loss, love, and the struggle to find your true self in the madness of life. Mad Girls shows us there is no one way to cope with death and trauma, but it's the trying that matters and that is what I found to be so powerful.

    ”

Character Information

  • Ruthie
    15
    African American / Black
    Cisgender Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Eileen
    17-26
    White/Jewish
    Cisgender Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Voice
    30+
    Any
    Any
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+

Development History

  • Reading, Chicago Dramatists, 2019
  • Reading, Northeastern University, 2017
  • Workshop, Silver Masque Theatre Company, 2016