AN ESTUARY

FULL LENGTH: Lia wakes up on her couch to find that she's dead--or at least she thinks she is?--and is haunting her bereaved son, Isaac. She follows Isaac as he goes on a journey to learn about his secretive mother and tries to stop him from discovering demons from her past, but Lia is the one who is thrown for a loop when she realizes that following Isaac is unearthing truths she never knew. Current draft: 1/9/24
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AN ESTUARY

Recommended by

  • John Mabey:
    20 Nov. 2023
    This is a delicate and urgent story that unfolds at such expert pacing in AN ESTUARY by Nick Malakhow. The structure of this play is very dynamic as secrets are revealed and hard truths are explored without flinching away from the raw emotions underneath. I was especially taken with the character of Lia and how she's depicted with such complexity, especially as she's making discoveries at the same time as the audience. The dialogue is also incredibly beautiful and sharp at the same time, making this a piece that both moves and entertains.
  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend:
    23 Mar. 2021
    There are so many surprises in this lovely play! Every time I thought I knew where it was going, it went somewhere totally different. What a beautiful, bittersweet story about family and identity and lost opportunities. I loved it!
  • Cam Torres:
    19 Mar. 2021
    What a lovely, lovely read. The characters are so clear, and the dialogue is so crisp. Worthy of many productions.

Character Information

  • LIA (EMELIA)
    50s,
    Latinx
    ,
    Female
    Stoic and a little severe to others, but we don’t see too much of that LIA. The one we see is burning up inside and lets that show.
  • ISAAC
    20,
    Latinx/Multiethnic
    ,
    Male
    Lia’s son. Openly queer, kind of punk, perhaps some strikingly dyed hair. Like mom, his personality is split between “armor” and brashness.
  • MICHAEL
    early 60s,
    White
    ,
    Male
    a successful lawyer in Newton. Lia’s former boss. Desperately hiding behind the role of rich, white patriarch and financial caretaker of his family.
  • PATRICE
    55,
    Black
    ,
    Female
    Michael’s wife, works at an educational nonprofit. Warm, kind, caring. Did not grow up wealthy, and went to private school as the “scholarship kid.”
  • FRANCESCA
    70s,
    Latina
    ,
    She/her
    Lia’s mother. A woman of contradictions--sought to both “blend in” in the States but also bemoaned losing a cultural affinity space. Using oxygen and mobility assistance.

Development History