Recommended by Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend

  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend: Detached by Melanie Coffey
    “

    I love Melanie Coffey's writing, and I love dark comedies, so I thoroughly enjoyed "Detached"! A family taking their patriarch off life support doesn't seem like a subject that will get you giggling, but this play manages to do it. I would love to see it staged one day, when theater can happen again.

    I love Melanie Coffey's writing, and I love dark comedies, so I thoroughly enjoyed "Detached"! A family taking their patriarch off life support doesn't seem like a subject that will get you giggling, but this play manages to do it. I would love to see it staged one day, when theater can happen again.

    ”
  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend: Monica: This Play Is Not About Monica Lewinsky by Dianne Nora
    “

    Oh my goodness, this play! So smart, so heartbreaking, so spot on! Dianne Nora has a great ear for dialogue and perfectly captures the difficulty of being a woman made infamous and defined by her sexuality. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and would love to see it staged!

    Oh my goodness, this play! So smart, so heartbreaking, so spot on! Dianne Nora has a great ear for dialogue and perfectly captures the difficulty of being a woman made infamous and defined by her sexuality. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and would love to see it staged!

    ”
  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend: From the Perspective of a Canoe by Amy Dellagiarino
    “

    Perhaps it's morally nebulous to recommend a play your sister wrote, but I think this play is wonderful. It deals with the aftermath of a mass shooting, from the perspective of the family of the shooter (one of whom refuses to exit the titular canoe). An exploration of how a person who feels they're not allowed to grieve handles grief, this play is smart and also - somehow - very funny.

    Perhaps it's morally nebulous to recommend a play your sister wrote, but I think this play is wonderful. It deals with the aftermath of a mass shooting, from the perspective of the family of the shooter (one of whom refuses to exit the titular canoe). An exploration of how a person who feels they're not allowed to grieve handles grief, this play is smart and also - somehow - very funny.

    ”
  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend: The Mockingbird's Nest by Craig Bailey
    “

    "The Mockingbird's Nest" is a quick, engaging read with a twist that I DID NOT EXPECT. I thoroughly enjoyed the way it unfolded, and how it managed to become pretty creepy while remaining very simple - the best kind of creepiness. With a simple set and two great roles for women over 50, this play would be easy to stage and I'm sure would leave the audience talking about it long after it's over.

    "The Mockingbird's Nest" is a quick, engaging read with a twist that I DID NOT EXPECT. I thoroughly enjoyed the way it unfolded, and how it managed to become pretty creepy while remaining very simple - the best kind of creepiness. With a simple set and two great roles for women over 50, this play would be easy to stage and I'm sure would leave the audience talking about it long after it's over.

    ”
  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend: The Backus Family Religious Spectacular (and Luncheon) by Ross Compton
    “

    This play is delightfully bizarre. I did a lot of giggling while muttering, "What is happening?" which is a combination I really enjoy. But then I always tend to enjoy the things that fall out of Ross Compton's head.

    This play is delightfully bizarre. I did a lot of giggling while muttering, "What is happening?" which is a combination I really enjoy. But then I always tend to enjoy the things that fall out of Ross Compton's head.

    ”
  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend: A Hit and Miss Christmas by Emma Wood
    “

    "A Hit and Miss Christmas" is a funny and, at times, very poignant play about a theater company and theater people at a crossroads, figuring out who and what they want to be going forward. The company members wrestling between sticking with classics that have been done to death versus trying something new rings very true. I felt like I knew these people, and I enjoyed spending this time with them. This was a lovely read!

    "A Hit and Miss Christmas" is a funny and, at times, very poignant play about a theater company and theater people at a crossroads, figuring out who and what they want to be going forward. The company members wrestling between sticking with classics that have been done to death versus trying something new rings very true. I felt like I knew these people, and I enjoyed spending this time with them. This was a lovely read!

    ”
  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend: Easy as Pie by Melanie Coffey
    “

    I love this play. The dialogue is smart and fast, and the characters are complex. Everything about the story - from the frustration that sparks May's decision, to the aftermath of her actions - feels entirely plausible. As someone who is tired of watching extremely qualified women lose elections to less qualified men, this was a nice piece of revenge fantasy - and a good reminder that getting a woman in the White House is really just the beginning of the fight.

    I love this play. The dialogue is smart and fast, and the characters are complex. Everything about the story - from the frustration that sparks May's decision, to the aftermath of her actions - feels entirely plausible. As someone who is tired of watching extremely qualified women lose elections to less qualified men, this was a nice piece of revenge fantasy - and a good reminder that getting a woman in the White House is really just the beginning of the fight.

    ”