END DAYS
“Wild and wonderful… End Days is enormously funny, warm and uplifting.” CurtainUp
“A rapturously funny play about a family trying to survive in a world hurtling toward Armageddon, proves that the right playwright can inspire healing laughter in even the most sobering subjects.” The Miami Herald
“Two acts are too short a time to spend with Deborah Zoe Laufer's lovable characters in "End Days…. a wonderful demonstration of writerly skill and compassion.” Variety
“Wild and wonderful… End Days is enormously funny, warm and uplifting.” CurtainUp
“A rapturously funny play about a family trying to survive in a world hurtling toward Armageddon, proves that the right playwright can inspire healing laughter in even the most sobering subjects.” The Miami Herald
“Two acts are too short a time to spend with Deborah Zoe Laufer's lovable characters in "End Days…. a wonderful demonstration of writerly skill and compassion.” Variety
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Sixteen year old Rachel Stein is having a bad year. Her father hasn’t changed out of his pajamas since 9/11. Her mother has begun a close, personal relationship with Jesus. Her new neightbor, a sixteen-year-old Elvis impersonator, has fallen for her hard. And the Apocolypse is coming Wednesday.
Her only hope is that Stephen Hawking will save them all. CAST: RACHEL STEIN: 16 year old nihilistic Goth. Feels angry and orphaned since 9/11, as both of her parents withdrew into their own worlds. SYLVIA STEIN: Her mother. 40’s. Newly Evangelical, with a close, personal relationship with Jesus. ARTHUR STEIN: Her father. 40’s Deeply depressed. NELSON STEINBERG: Also 16. Their new neighbor. Passionate about science. Dresses as Elvis. Loves Rachel. JESUS and STEPHEN HAWKING: Played by the same actor. |
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Production history:
Florida Stage Manalapan, FL The Phoenix Theatre Indianapolis, IN The Vineyard Martha’s Vineyard, MA The Curious Theatre Denver, CO Horizon Theatre Atlanta, GA Next Theatre Chicago, IL People’s Light and Theatre Malvern, PA Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte Charlotte, NC Ensemble Studio Theatre New York, NY Salt Lake Acting Company Salt Lake City, UT Riverside Theatre Iowa City, IA Echo Theatre Dallas, TX Harlequin Theatre Olympia, WA Seattle Public Theatre Seattle, WA Spectrum Theatre Grand Rapids, MI Paper Lantern Theatre Greensboro, NC Shattuck-St. Mary’s School Faribault, MN Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH Independent Actors Theatre Columbia, MO The Hippodrome Gainesville, FL Spot-LYTE Theatre Lorton, VA Theatre on the HILL Bollingbrook, IL Nordharzer Stadtebundtheater Halberstadt, Germany Ashland Contemporary Theatre Medford, OR Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte Charlotte, NC Actor’s Guild of Lexington Lexington, KY Langhorne Players Newtown, PA New Jewish Theatre St. Louis, MO The Odyssey Theatre Los Angeles, CA Montana Rep. Missoula, MT Maryland Ensemble Theatre Frederick, MD Dudley Hill Players Dudley, MA Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN ON.TEATRE St. Petersburg, Russia Carpenter Square Theatre Oklahoma City, OK Clackamas Repertory Theater Oregon City, OR Mid-Ohio Valley Players Marietta, OH Proxy Theatre San Antonio, TX Williamston Theatre Williamston, MI Jewish Ensemble Theatre West Bloomfield, MI Siskiyou Performing Arts Ctr. Yreka, CA Jasper I.S.D. Japer, TX Kenyon College Gambier, OH Bordentown RSD Bordentown, NJ South Bend Civic Theatre South Bend, IN Cider Mill Playhouse Endicott, NY Sauk Valley Community College Dixon, IL E-52 Student Theatre Neward, DE UWG Theatre Company Carrollton, GA Burien Actor’s Theatre Burien,WA Five Dollar Recession Theater Nashville, TN (inaugural) Subversive Theatre Company Buffalo, NY (10/2014) Hope Theatre Holland, MI (10/2014) Lenoir Rhyne University Hickory, NC (11/2014) Windy City Playhouse Chicago, IL (3/2015) Penobscot Theatre Bangor, ME (3/2015) Chagrin Valley Little Theatre Chagrin Falls, OH (2/2016) Chester Theatre Group Chester, NJ (2/2016) Voice Theatre Woodstock, NY (6/2016) Adelaide Fringe Festival Adelaide, Australia (2-3/17) Centenary Stage Company Hackettstown, NJ 3/17 Sierra Stages Nevada City, NV 3/2017 Stage Center Theatre Chicago, IL, (4/2017) Tower Fine Arts Brockport, NY (4/2018) Calfornia State University Long Beach, CA 4/27-5/12/18 Kaleidascope Theatre Lynn Haven, FL 5/18-6/18 SUNY Brockport Brockport, NY, 10/18 Amelia Community Theatre Fernandina Beach, FL, 11/18 The Restless Artists Theatre Sparks, NV, 3/19 Hickory Community Theatre Hickory, NC, 3/19 Morehead Theatre Guild Morehead, KY, 3/19 Learning Lab Waite Park, MN 6/19 |
Some reviews:
“Two acts are too short a time to spend with Deborah Zoe Laufer's lovable characters in "End Days…. a wonderful demonstration of writerly skill and compassion.” by Sam Thielman VARIETY http://variety.com/2009/legit/reviews/end-days-1200507357/ ------------------------- "Laufer’s unique sense of humor… sheds authentic light on the human condition. Laufer is as much an heir to Ionesco as to Sherwood Schwartz — and a playwright to watch." LA TIMES by Margaret Gray http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/08/theater-review-end-days-at-the-odyssey-theatre.html ------------------------- “Wild and wonderful… End Days is enormously funny, warm and uplifting.” CurtainUp by Paulanne Simmons http://www.curtainup.com/enddaysest09.html ------------------ "Who said religion can’t be funny? Not playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer, whose End Days makes its Chicago premiere in a hilarious, smart production. This show intelligently, with loads of wit, pokes at using religious fanaticism to heal our personal wounds. Without being ‘preachy’ or condescending, End Days unfolds as a funny look at the role of faith in human relations. This show is hilarious and healing." By Tom Williams http://chicagocritic.com/end-days/ ------------------------- “A rapturously funny play about a family trying to survive in a world hurtling toward Armageddon, proves that the right playwright can inspire healing laughter in even the most sobering subjects.” “Perhaps only Deborah Zoe Laufer would think to combine a Goth girl her born-again mom, her post-9/11 depressed dad, an Elvis-loving, Jesus and Stephen Hawking in the same play — and make the combination hilarious.” The Miami Herald by Christine Dolan ----------------- “… Both poignantly redemptive and often hilariously funny. I hope others will have the opportunity to see this special play. It begs the question of what we would hold most sacred if we knew the end was near. And it brings to life our broad range of choices, including laughter, and the treasured traveling companions who are there even when we face our own personal Armageddon.” – Huffington Post ------------------------- “End Days may be about a weirdly dysfunctional family that finds its soul by waiting for the Apocalypse together, but this play has heart: It’s engaging, funny as hell and even touching.” An exceptional show” –NUVO (Indianapolis) ---------------------- “a manic whirlwind of a family drama as weird and illuminating and truthful as anything likely to be discovered at CERN. End Days is funnier than a great many plays designed solely to induce laughter…and more touching than most plays designed solely to touch.… so redolent of the ordinary wishes of real, lonely human beings that, despite the play’s atmosphere of general absurdity, it communicates a heartbreaking truthfulness. …” Broward-Palm Beach New Times by Brandon K. Thorp http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2007-10-25/culture/scramble-me-up-a-universe/ --------------------------- “..the smartest, most hysterical, laugh-out-loud show you’ll see in the theater – ever! … witty, funny AND relevant play.” – Martha’s Vineyard Plum -------------------- “Who knew The Rapture could be so funny? In Deborah Zoe Laufer's irreverent yet deeply felt comedy, the playwright humorously navigates the uncertain terrain of faith, love, and science.” TheaterMania by Dan Bacalzo http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/reviews/04-2009/end-days_18386.html Interview on NPR: Talk of the Nation Science Friday
with Ira Flatow: Play Asks: Can Science And Religion Get Along? : NPR |