Mox Nox

by Patrick Gabridge

In a world of magical realism and rising water, two sisters are reunited at their family home. Mira, the caretaker sister, had to weather her mother’s death alone, and holds every childhood slight so close that she is literally burning from the inside, shedding ashes and embers, as her wife, Amanda, attempts to soothe her. Sister Deedee has returned to bring her fiancé, Pike, to higher ground, even as her...

In a world of magical realism and rising water, two sisters are reunited at their family home. Mira, the caretaker sister, had to weather her mother’s death alone, and holds every childhood slight so close that she is literally burning from the inside, shedding ashes and embers, as her wife, Amanda, attempts to soothe her. Sister Deedee has returned to bring her fiancé, Pike, to higher ground, even as her memory is vanishing faster and faster. In a slowly drowning world, everyone is searching for higher ground. The sisters battle to the end, one unable to forget, the other unable to remember. A play of lyrical magic and visual surprise, with characters who desperately need love and dry land.

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Mox Nox

Recommended by

  • Samantha Marchant: Mox Nox by Patrick Gabridge
    “

    Fascinating spectacle in this script. A deep exploration of memory, relationships and what may be depicted with 4 memorable characters.

    Fascinating spectacle in this script. A deep exploration of memory, relationships and what may be depicted with 4 memorable characters.

    ”
  • Cheryl Bear: Mox Nox by Patrick Gabridge
    “

    A moving look at two sisters trying to navigate the past and find a way to move through it. The pain, the anger and the love are all present. Well done.

    A moving look at two sisters trying to navigate the past and find a way to move through it. The pain, the anger and the love are all present. Well done.

    ”
  • The Depot for New Play Readings: Mox Nox by Patrick Gabridge
    “

    In “Mox Nox,” Patrick Gabridge moves the traditional family drama to the back deck of a childhood home, now a precarious island in a world of rising seas. Two sisters suffer the wounds of their pasts, searching for a trick to save themselves. Time moves oddly in this play, where magic is normal and the forces of nature captivate. At turns full of wonder, anger, and sorrow, “Mox Nox” presents a lyrical portrait of life in an age of catastrophe and represents the effort to comprehend and process forces we cannot control. Highly recommended for theaters everywhere.

    In “Mox Nox,” Patrick Gabridge moves the traditional family drama to the back deck of a childhood home, now a precarious island in a world of rising seas. Two sisters suffer the wounds of their pasts, searching for a trick to save themselves. Time moves oddly in this play, where magic is normal and the forces of nature captivate. At turns full of wonder, anger, and sorrow, “Mox Nox” presents a lyrical portrait of life in an age of catastrophe and represents the effort to comprehend and process forces we cannot control. Highly recommended for theaters everywhere.

    ”
View all 6 recommendations

Character Information

  • Deedee Holcomb
    A civil engineer.
    30s
    A person of color
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Pikes
    A handyman. Deedee's fiancé.
    30s
    Any Race or ethnicity
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Amanda
    A florist. Married to Mira.
    30s
    Any Race or ethnicity
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Mira
    A yoga instructor. Married to Amanda. Deedee's sister.
    30s
    White
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female

Development History

  • Reading, Play Incubation Collective, Northampton, MA, 2024
  • Commission, Brown Box Theatre Project, 2018