←Recommendations of Bandera, Texas

Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend's characters are never flat. They do not lie still on either page or stage, but arrive fully formed, fresh and vibrant and full of life – even in the middle of such seemingly desolate surroundings!
Reader, do yourself a favor and spend a few days immersed in Dellagiarino Feriend’s words. You will emerge reinvigorated, hopeful and wondering why theaters would ever want to produce anything else.

A person can find happiness, even in Bandera, Texas. Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend shows us how it’s done with sacrifice, sage advice from the ghosts of grandmothers, and a baseball bat. Life lessons are revealed in the witty banter and comical situations – day drinking, rattlesnakes under the trailer, a kitchen drawer filled with cigarettes, and more. My favorite: how the drama teacher lost his job. Well done!

Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend is a remarkable playwright. Her voice is distinct. Her world building precise, deft. Her characters so real, lovable, likable in all their quirkiness. The dialogue in this piece is spot on as is the humor. Just lovely.

This play really speaks to me. A move from NYC to Bandera, TX, is certainly every bit as challenging as moving to a foreign country. And Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend does a marvelous job of humorously capturing the culture shock and the misgivings that can accompany a such a huge compromise in a relationship. But this play is much more than a fish-out-of-water story. With the inclusion of the two grandmothers, Feriend highlights challenges placed on women for generations. Expertly written with engaging characters, BANDERA, TEXAS is an excellent addition to any theater’s season.

Feriend is an alchemist who transforms strings of words into gold. I loved this play. Perfectly paced and hypnotically theatrical. It awakened the actor in me, wanting to deliver these lines and tell this story. Kudos.

Moving, inspiring, and filled with the literal perfect amount of sass, Feriend's play is just beautiful. A brilliant meditation on so much, from the multiple meanings of home, collaboration amongst romantic partners, matriarchal generational legacy, what happens to our dreams as we age, and everything in-between. The staggering feat is how tightly focused it is. The dialogue here will sneak up on you, strike you from underneath like the rattlesnakes under the trailer. Have I even mentioned the "Texas" jokes, yet? Like, really, there's so much here. And it even has great roles for some older actors. Highly recommend.

This hilarious, heartfelt, effortlessly theatrical play is full of stunning roles for women that put motherhood at the forefront of the story. I'm amazed by how much I knew and understood about these quirky, lovable, and realistically flawed characters on page one! As always, Lisa's dialogue is smooth, realistic, and laugh-out-loud hilarious, and the specificity of the worlds that she creates continues to blow my mind. The piece comes full circle in such a beautiful and satisfying way. I was laughing and tearing up at the same time by "end of play." Someone produce this already, dangit!

Told with Feriend's brilliant ear for dialogue and sense of humor, Liz's adjustment to her new living situation and the impending changes that press down on her life from all sides is so incredibly relatable. Both grandmothers bring their unique perspectives to her to help make sense of things and the reality of being a woman, a wife, a mother- now or in generations past- is brought to life for us. This play deserves all the accolades and many, many productions!

A heartwarming play about relationships and compromise. Three great roles for women. Dialog is sharp and real. The conflict is engaging wide a wide audience appeal. Lovely.

What a funny and heartwarming play! I love the theatrical device of bringing the dead to help Liz adjust to life outside New York City. As a New Yorker who isn't allowed to even visit Texas, this is so relatable! And I love the way the stories of the grandmothers are woven in with economy and humor and a real adoration for the city of New York. I felt Liz's pain and also her frustration with her husband. The characters are so well-written character, I'd recognize them anywhere.