←Recommendations of ASKING (a ten-minute play)

Two adult sisters dance around the unexpressed until an unhoused man wanders into their home. But is he an uninvited guest? Or is something else at play? No one captures domestic disharmony and life lessons with as much humor and heart … and accuracy! … as the ever-talented and perceptive Marj O’Neill-Butler.

Theresa may feel like she's her sister's keeper, but like any normal human being, she has her limits. This sets up so fast and skates by on high speed dialog that it's over before you know it, and yet you've witnessed a sibling do one of the harder things to do in life--get someone you love and care about to take some responsibility for herself. This isn't a scold, though. You'll likely find yourself smiling if not laughing out loud at a scene most all of us can relate to! Great characters, easy to stage. Producers/ADs, pay attention!

One of this play's greatest strengths is its lickety-split, believable dialog. Another is how clearly these sisters are emotional opposites who see the world in two different ways. The satisfying ending shows us that it's Theresa's common-sense, get-with-it viewpoint that prevails and gets her unmotivated sister off the dime. Any actor would be happy taking on any one of these roles.

An infinitely relatable story about family. Marj O'Neill-Butler weaves characters and motivations together to deliver a twist-ending that is both complicated and complex. Featured at the 2025 Midwest Dramatists Conference.

10.21.25 - There are ways of lighting a fire under someone's bottom and then there is Theresa's way. And what an entertaining way it was, too. Trying to provoke a sister mired in self-pity from a failed relationship and now stuck in neutral, Theresa invites a young man, Cyrus suffering his own problems into the house to try to jumpstart Jeannie. Marj O'Neill-Butler has a way with words that keeps you focused and pulling for her tactic to work and the gentle twist at the end has you chuckling.

I saw a reading of this at the Midwest Dramatists Conference and Marj writes very real characters, flaws and all, struggling to find some dignity. She gives us a nice twist ending as well.

I saw this script as a reading at the Midwest Dramatists Conference. An exploration of how frustrations with family members can bring someone to try something very different, O'Neill-Butler gives us a surprise ending that is worth it!