Grief Dialogues

Using theater to start conversations about dying, death, and grief

Nine short plays by nine different playwrights depicting a variety of dying, death and/or grief stories, poems by a talented poet, followed by interactive audience discussions, and you have the makings of this new show!

Grief Dialogues: The Experience (formerly Grief Dialogues: The Play) brings timely conversations about death, dying and grief to the stage in innovative, humorous and touching ways. Part theatre, part therapy, this “edutainment” project began in 2016 with an open call for short plays and was developed from nearly 200 submissions. The original performance was composed of 6 short plays from playwrights across the country. It is a thought-provoking and honest look at the subject of death that invites audiences to reconsider some of the rhetoric and stigmas around the topic.

The original production was first performed on Bainbridge Island, WA in August 2016 and then went on to productions in Seattle, Portland, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, New York, and Los Angeles over the next 5 years.

Left to right: Dani Davis, Nambi E. Kelley, and Elizabeth Coplan

This updated production workshop debuts in October 2024 in New York City. This production includes returning playwrights Donna Hoke, Elizabeth Coplan, and Barbara Blumenthal along with Paul Atriedes whose play “Fusion” was featured in the Las Vegas performance in 2018. New playwrights include Nambi E. Kelley, Leilani Squires, Amy Judith Reuben, Louisa Vilardi, and Tim Woods. Poet Jenny Coates joins the team as well.

Dani Davis, an Emmy award-winning writer, a Tony-nominated Broadway producer, a critically acclaimed theater director, a television producer, and an entertainment entrepreneur, has signed on to direct the production. Andrew Coopman and Georgia Monroe round out the directing team.

Grief counselor Claudia Coenen reprises her role as the audience conversation facilitator. She is joined by Pastor Corey Kennard.

GRIEF DIALOGUES: THE EXPERIENCE Will Present Invitation-Only Immersive Performances & Film Shoot

Pulitzer Prize nominated playwright Elizabeth Coplan's collaborative production and film shoot with Virtual Stage Lab of Grief Dialogues: The Experience will be shared with invited audiences in New York for three performances on Tuesday, October 29th and Wednesday, October 30th at A.R.T New York.

Read more on Broadway.com

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