The Bells of West 87th

by Elin Hampton

Normal is what people call families that aren’t theirs. Amateur poet Molly Fein is almost 40, still single and craving a new life independent of her elderly parents. Does she dare introduce them to the new boyfriend she’s recently met at night school?

Molly’s mother and father have been separated for years. Ida’s supposed to be living with Molly’s “perfect” sister Maxine on nearby Staten Island. Instead, she’s...

Normal is what people call families that aren’t theirs. Amateur poet Molly Fein is almost 40, still single and craving a new life independent of her elderly parents. Does she dare introduce them to the new boyfriend she’s recently met at night school?

Molly’s mother and father have been separated for years. Ida’s supposed to be living with Molly’s “perfect” sister Maxine on nearby Staten Island. Instead, she’s secretly holed up with Molly, living smack next door to her nearly deaf husband and using a system of hidden bells to track his whereabouts from the other side of the wall.

Hilarious and touching, The Bells of West 87th is a fresh look at the coming of middle age.

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The Bells of West 87th

Recommended by

  • Dagney Kerr: The Bells of West 87th

    The Bells of West 87th is a delight! I think audiences around the country could see their own families in this play. It's fun, relatable and heartfelt.

    The Bells of West 87th is a delight! I think audiences around the country could see their own families in this play. It's fun, relatable and heartfelt.

Development History

  • Type Workshop, Organization Road Theatre Company, Los Angeles, Year 2013
  • Type Reading, Organization InterAct Theatre Company, Los Angeles, Year 2012

Production History

  • Type Professional, Organization Greenway Arts Alliance / Greenway Court Theatre, Year 2013