Crazy Bitch by Jennie Webb

CRAZY BITCH is play about jellyfish and genealogy and rogue taxidermy. In a world where unbelievable brutality happens every day, three women in Los Angeles find themselves suspended between the extraordinary and real life expectations.

After Eva, a respected scientist, is savagely attacked late at night when walking in LA, the women in her life—her ex-lover, her sister and her cousin—try to...
CRAZY BITCH is play about jellyfish and genealogy and rogue taxidermy. In a world where unbelievable brutality happens every day, three women in Los Angeles find themselves suspended between the extraordinary and real life expectations.

After Eva, a respected scientist, is savagely attacked late at night when walking in LA, the women in her life—her ex-lover, her sister and her cousin—try to assemble a picture they can live with: of the events surrounding Eva’s attack, of the nature of Eva’s work with the immortal jellyfish, and of their future, where “forever” may be a real possibility and evil really exists.

Sure, life must go on. But in this particular corner of Los Angeles, what happens next? Can a wild taxidermy creation breathe new life into tragedy? Can genealogy research create connections that really matter? And what if Eva never recovers? Who’ll take care of the jellyfish, then?
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Crazy Bitch

Recommended by

  • Cheryl Bear:
    29 Oct. 2021
    “ After the unimaginable, three find themselves grappling with what has happened and the world as they now know it. A powerful and revealing journey. ”
  • Heather Helinsky:
    15 Oct. 2015
    “ Jennie Webb is an original-thinker, a strong voice, and a risk-taker and my hope is someone takes a risk on her work. I first encountered CRAZY BITCH as a dramaturg for Great Plains Theatre Conference and I was engaged by the nuanced relationships between the women (including the needy immortal jellyfish!). Jennie doesn't write about the world being a safe place, nor is her story a "safe" story, but even in the play's most abstract qualities, be assured Jennie delivers a play with a lot of heart and brutal truths. ”
  • Tiffany Antone:
    11 Aug. 2015
    “ I love Jennie's writing! With one eye on reality and another on the absurd, her work carries you into the surreal. Crazy Bitch is all those things, wrapped around a powerful emotional punch! ”

Character Information

Only the Insistent Woman and the Distant Woman share enough genetic material to affect appearance, even in a small way. Multi-racial casting is encouraged. It’s possible for the Jellyfish to be played by a male or non-binary actor, but the character identifies as female.

  • THE DISTANT WOMAN - Eva's sister
    In her 30s, or perhaps her late 20s,
    Female
    Lives in New York.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • THE INSISTENT WOMAN - Eva's mother's cousin
    In her 40s, if not a bit older,
    Female
    Lives in another part of LA, east of here.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • THE CAUGHT WOMAN - Eva's ex
    In her 30s, or possibly her 40s
    Not quite sure where she lives but not here. Anymore.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • THE JELLYFISH - Eva's project
    Immortal
    Lives in a petri dish.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Great Plains Theatre Conference
    ,
    2014
  • Reading
    ,
    Road Theatre Summer Playwrights Festival
    ,
    2014
  • Reading
    ,
    Santa Monica Rep
    ,
    2014
  • Reading
    ,
    Playwrights Union
    ,
    2013