Damn Things Will Kill Ya

BY OLIVIA LUZQUINOS

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, FALL 2023

WORLD PREMIER

When the matriarch of the family, Ruth, attempts suicide, three siblings converge on her hospital room where she is being kept on psychiatric hold. Betty, the eldest, wants to pressure her mother into seeking treatment for her lung cancer while also juggling multiple jobs and single motherhood. Tommy, the middle child, wants his mother to continue getting to live her life. And finally, Anne, the youngest, who was kicked out of the household when she came out as a lesbian and has since become a partner at a law firm and married her wife, Robin. After an explosive fight with Anne, Ruth has a pulmonary embolism that leaves her brain dead. The siblings then must decide whether to keep their mother on the machines or not. It is a challenging show about loving difficult family and grief.

As a note - costumes for this production were designed for two separate casts playing the same characters. As such, character choices diverged based on each performers approach to their role.

Director: Aaron Posner

Costume Design: Becca Janney Scenic Design: Sofia Olivar Lighting Design: Yannick Godst