The End Of Sex (Or What's Wrong With Mom)

by Gay Walch

The play opens on married couple Nancy and Ken Keller arguing about the moral responsibility they have toward their overnight guests -- a 19-year-old couple. Nancy believes that it’s their responsibility as older adults to provide boundaries for young people, particularly when it comes to sex. Ken believes Nancy’s views are old-fashion and wrong. This quickly leads to areas of conflict within their own sexual...

The play opens on married couple Nancy and Ken Keller arguing about the moral responsibility they have toward their overnight guests -- a 19-year-old couple. Nancy believes that it’s their responsibility as older adults to provide boundaries for young people, particularly when it comes to sex. Ken believes Nancy’s views are old-fashion and wrong. This quickly leads to areas of conflict within their own sexual life, which is then further complicated when their grown daughter and son-in-law show up for dinner. Both couples find themselves in a charged, potentially de-stabilizing conflict. The play wrestles with how normalized sexual mores encourage certain power arrangements, specifically focusing on what happens when one woman questions her own collusion within those arrangements. Some questions explored include: Who gets to be a credible witness to their own experience, who doesn’t get it, and who doesn’t even know they don’t have it -- within the dynamics of sexual politics, gender accommodation, collusion and entitlement.

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The End Of Sex (Or What's Wrong With Mom)

Recommended by

  • Jack Becker: The End Of Sex (Or What's Wrong With Mom)

    A thought-provoking romp balanced with just the right amount of drama. The play has a tight, strong arc carried by defined and developed characters. Feels like it could be in conversation with Annie Baker's "Body Awareness" in terms of subject matter, or even "Thanksgiving Play" by Larissa FastHorse in terms of tone. Overall a wonderfully entertaining and enriching play.

    A thought-provoking romp balanced with just the right amount of drama. The play has a tight, strong arc carried by defined and developed characters. Feels like it could be in conversation with Annie Baker's "Body Awareness" in terms of subject matter, or even "Thanksgiving Play" by Larissa FastHorse in terms of tone. Overall a wonderfully entertaining and enriching play.

  • Cheryl Bear: The End Of Sex (Or What's Wrong With Mom)

    A powerful play about our sense of agency, gender roles and politics as we find more liberation when it comes to sex. Dynamics change and sometimes we have difficulty with that. Which perspective is correct? Well done.

    A powerful play about our sense of agency, gender roles and politics as we find more liberation when it comes to sex. Dynamics change and sometimes we have difficulty with that. Which perspective is correct? Well done.

  • Unicorn Theatre: The End Of Sex (Or What's Wrong With Mom)

    This play was a FINALIST for the 2017-2018 In-Progress New Play Reading Series at Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. It is our pleasure to support THE END OF SEX (OR WHAT'S WRONG WITH MOM).

    This play was a FINALIST for the 2017-2018 In-Progress New Play Reading Series at Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. It is our pleasure to support THE END OF SEX (OR WHAT'S WRONG WITH MOM).

Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization Blank Theater Living Room Series, Year 2017
  • Type Reading, Organization Antaeus Theatre of Los Angeles, Year 2016

Production History

  • Type Professional, Organization Victory Theater in Los Angeles, Year 2019