Goodnight Embryos

by Maureen McGranaghan

[Full Length Drama]
[Produced by Void Theatre Co. in 2024 Piccolo Spoleto Festival; Runner Up, Todd McNerney Playwriting Award]
Em and Belle, a lesbian couple, are the happy new parents of a son named Rory. Belle harvested her eggs and carried the baby, with a friend providing the sperm. However, the procedure resulted in six embryos, and the couple must now decide what to do with the remaining five. Belle wants...

[Full Length Drama]
[Produced by Void Theatre Co. in 2024 Piccolo Spoleto Festival; Runner Up, Todd McNerney Playwriting Award]
Em and Belle, a lesbian couple, are the happy new parents of a son named Rory. Belle harvested her eggs and carried the baby, with a friend providing the sperm. However, the procedure resulted in six embryos, and the couple must now decide what to do with the remaining five. Belle wants another child, but Em demurs. Do they donate the embryos to another couple or to science, or let them be destroyed? The play visits them once a year for a decade, as they grapple with this decision again and again, their relationship at stake each time.

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Goodnight Embryos

Recommended by

  • Donna Hoke: Goodnight Embryos by Maureen McGranaghan
    “

    As someone who faced Em and Belle's situation, it was refreshing to see the choice examined in both a thoughtful and entertaining way. So many people probably never consider this, and this play epitomizes what theater is for.

    As someone who faced Em and Belle's situation, it was refreshing to see the choice examined in both a thoughtful and entertaining way. So many people probably never consider this, and this play epitomizes what theater is for.

    ”
  • Aly Kantor: Goodnight Embryos by Maureen McGranaghan
    “

    This play brought to light an issue I have never thought about or considered, and it did so through compelling dialogue delivered by two clear, motivated characters. It could not have been an easy subject to tackle, so I appreciated the specific, human-centered narrative as an entry point. The stakes grow higher with each passing year as both women find themselves grasping desperately for the right ending to their story (and the story of their embryos). The piece is emotional and really unpacks why debates about life and personhood are complex - no matter how socially liberal you are.

    This play brought to light an issue I have never thought about or considered, and it did so through compelling dialogue delivered by two clear, motivated characters. It could not have been an easy subject to tackle, so I appreciated the specific, human-centered narrative as an entry point. The stakes grow higher with each passing year as both women find themselves grasping desperately for the right ending to their story (and the story of their embryos). The piece is emotional and really unpacks why debates about life and personhood are complex - no matter how socially liberal you are.

    ”
  • Samantha Marchant: Goodnight Embryos by Maureen McGranaghan
    “

    An engaging two hander. The characters on and off stage are well developed. The use of the letter coming every year was a great device to ground us in time and push the plot forward.

    An engaging two hander. The characters on and off stage are well developed. The use of the letter coming every year was a great device to ground us in time and push the plot forward.

    ”
View all 5 recommendations

Awards

  • Todd McNerney Playwriting Award
    College of Charleston
    Runner Up
    2020