Three Damned Letters

by Sam Heyman

FULL LENGTH: A play in the tradition of the American family drama that engages with questions of family within and beyond the nuclear unit, Three Damned Letters concerns a core bond of brotherhood and love between two men, college students and fraternity brothers -- and how, years later, that bond has become estranged and severed altogether.

David, the younger brother, goes to his older brother Jesse’s family...

FULL LENGTH: A play in the tradition of the American family drama that engages with questions of family within and beyond the nuclear unit, Three Damned Letters concerns a core bond of brotherhood and love between two men, college students and fraternity brothers -- and how, years later, that bond has become estranged and severed altogether.

David, the younger brother, goes to his older brother Jesse’s family’s house on the eve of Jesse’s funeral. What he finds waiting for him is painful memory, tender moments of connection and an uncannily familiar sense of secrecy. Jesse has left behind a legacy, and also a trail of guilty, broken hearts. His sudden death shocks the family and causes each member to reckon with their past, and contend with the challenge of working toward a brighter future together. While in the company of a family attempting to heal wounds old and new, David must face his own guilt--and find a path toward the love his heart yearns for.

Updated Draft Uploaded 1/15/26!

read more
  • Inquire About Rights
  • Recommend
  • Download
  • Save to Library

Three Damned Letters

Recommended by

  • Peter Fenton: Three Damned Letters by Sam Heyman
    “

    I especially appreciate when grief is explored in media, and Sam Heyman in general is a playwright quite gifted at exploring grief. In THREE DAMNED LETTERS, Heyman uses three generations to explore the tragic death of Jesse, who appears through flashbacks and visions the other characters see. This is a tight family drama with complete arcs for all characters. I have to hand it to Sam, also, for always drawing male characters who explore deep emotions authentically. It's powerful in this play.

    I especially appreciate when grief is explored in media, and Sam Heyman in general is a playwright quite gifted at exploring grief. In THREE DAMNED LETTERS, Heyman uses three generations to explore the tragic death of Jesse, who appears through flashbacks and visions the other characters see. This is a tight family drama with complete arcs for all characters. I have to hand it to Sam, also, for always drawing male characters who explore deep emotions authentically. It's powerful in this play.

    ”
  • Mike Byham: Three Damned Letters by Sam Heyman
    “

    Grief and guilt are powerful motivators driving this fine work by Sam Heyman. Especially when familiar family dynamics are included. The journey of a young man discovering the home life of his dearly departed friend (and maybe more) is a compelling tale. Heyman's dialogue is so effective because it is so true to life. Heartfelt and heartbreaking, this is a story that needs to be told.

    Grief and guilt are powerful motivators driving this fine work by Sam Heyman. Especially when familiar family dynamics are included. The journey of a young man discovering the home life of his dearly departed friend (and maybe more) is a compelling tale. Heyman's dialogue is so effective because it is so true to life. Heartfelt and heartbreaking, this is a story that needs to be told.

    ”
  • Philip Middleton Williams: Three Damned Letters by Sam Heyman
    “

    We do not get to choose our biological family, but sometimes the family we do choose can have stronger links and meaning than the ones where DNA is the common thread. In this poignant, passionate, and most assuredly family-centered story, Sam Heyman has a rich and varied collection of characters who try their best to live and love and stumble and fall in the process. But somehow, through strength and will, they find a way, however difficult the path may be. This will be a powerhouse on stage.

    We do not get to choose our biological family, but sometimes the family we do choose can have stronger links and meaning than the ones where DNA is the common thread. In this poignant, passionate, and most assuredly family-centered story, Sam Heyman has a rich and varied collection of characters who try their best to live and love and stumble and fall in the process. But somehow, through strength and will, they find a way, however difficult the path may be. This will be a powerhouse on stage.

    ”
View all 9 recommendations

Character Information

Sex, gender and orientation are at play in this story, as well as race and culture. David is a black man. The family need not be played solely by white actors, but they are white characters.
  • David
    The little brother, visiting his big, Jesse's biological family on the eve of Jesse's funeral. David harbors his share of guilt about how he left things with Jesse, and is seeking closure the only way he knows how.
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Jesse
    Many things to many people, Jesse is the young man whose sudden death sets the play in motion. Before his death, he was a member of Theta Delta Lambda fraternity; a big brother to many, particularly David.
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Jenna
    The long estranged daughter of Molly and Joseph, returned for her brother's funeral. Sent on a solitary arc by a disastrous coming out at 17, Jenna has come back home armed with a wit and savviness her younger self lacked, in hopes of salvaging what is left of her family.
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Molly
    Mother to Jesse and Jenna, and wife to Joseph, Molly's sunny, hostess exterior belies a woman whose beliefs and particularities have troubled her family relationships. Her heart beats and bleeds for the loss of her son, as she clings to what she still has left.
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Joseph
    Father to Jesse and Jenna, husband to Molly, Joseph has already experienced his share of loss before his son's recent passing. His hurt and growing resentment just barely hidden behind his stoic demeanor, it is only a matter of time before something in him breaks.
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Mason
    Father to Joseph, Jesse's grandfather, Mason is an unexpected guest at his surviving family's home. Compelled to visit not just to mourn his grandson, he is determined to make amends for his past mistakes.
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man

Development History

  • Reading, Self-produced, 2023
  • Reading, Act 1 Theatre (Zoom), 2020
  • Reading, Denison University, 2014

Awards

  • Title Wave New Works Festival
    Bay Street Theater
    Semi-Finalist
    2024