←Recommendations of The Curse

A literal fish out of water tale in which a merman named Jeremy is left high and dry on the beach after being cursed by an angry enchantress, and it is left to human Beth to help him get his fin back (whether the mansplaining twit deserves it or not). The awkward dynamic between the mismatched pair drives the comedic action in this pithy and hilarious short two-hander. It may not be fun discovering that the legends of your childhood are jerks, but it sure is funny to watch.

Funny and filled with snappy dialogue, The Curse is a fun short piece of theater that also has key insights into gender and relationships which help to bring the fantastical elements into even sharper focus.

Above all, it's fantastical and very funny -- but grounded with insights on male-female relationships (particularly in the workplace) and maybe even human-merpeople relationships.

02.07.26 - Okay, I think we can all blame Donna for Jeremy's predicament, but I think the real underlying problem should be laid at the feet of playwright Lisa Dellagiarino-Feriend who wrote this wacky little comedy. Shades of Little Mermaid with a side order of Splash, this delightful play subverts a number of our mermaid expectations in the most entertaining way. Great fun.

The Curse by Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend is a whimsical yet thought-provoking tale about a merman cursed to become human. With witty dialogue and a touch of fantasy, it explores identity and transformation. The open-ended conclusion leaves audiences reflecting on dreams, choices, and their consequences.

Maybe don’t save Mermans. Maybe don’t meet your childhood dreams. Or just face them and dream a new dream. I love this “tale as old as time.” I love all the maybes and the possibilities at the end. Is this fantasy or a reckoning?

I had the pleasure to be on the same bill as this funny, thought provoking play. Well done!

Dellagiarino Feriend always has a terrific way of turning her tales into "more of a thing than I was prepared for"! Love the openness of the ending.

Poor Beth! She just wants to make sure a stranger on the beach is ok, and she ends up having to deal with the annoying Jeremy, a cursed merman. But why would the unseen Donna put a curse on Jeremy? Could it be his constant merman-splaining? No one writes funnier dialogue than Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend. And this is some of her best!

A fun day at the beach? Not for Jeremy. Beth figures out the problem in short order, even when annoyed. That is Jeremy's problem, he's annoying. To get your fin back you need a curse breaker. Very important knowledge that we can only gain from fun plays.