Eleemosynary
by Lee Blessing

Name: Eleemosynary
Brand: Lee Blessing
SKU: 9780822203544
Rating: 4.17 (341 reviews)

Off-Broadway

Eleemosynary Book Cover — Eleemosynary Cover

Highlights

Small Cast

Female

90 mins1980sAll WomenRole(s) for Teen(s)Bare Stage/Simple SetContemporary Costumes/Street ClothesAmerican

Awards & Recognition

Drama Critics Circle

Winner! 1997 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Writing

What readers are saying

Readers generally appreciate the emotional depth and complexity of the characters in this play. Many find it beautifully written, with poignant themes of family dynamics and generational connections. Some find it a valuable resource for performance monologues, although a few reviewers noted it could veer into stereotypical territory.

Emotional and impactful storytellingRich character developmentGreat for performance monologuesSomewhat tropey family patterns

Synopsis

THE STORY: Staged with utmost simplicity, using platforms and a few props, the play probes into the delicate relationship of three singular women: the grandmother, Dorothea, who has sought to assert her independence through strong-willed eccentrici

Press Reviews

"A play and a production of a caliber rarely seen on the Philadelphia stage… the language is elegant, witty and carefully wrought."
— Philadelphia City Paper

"A wonderful job of playwriting."
— Minneapolis Star and Tribune

"A funny, perceptive and eloquently written play."
— St. Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Artie (Artemis) 30s, Dorothea's daughter	female	30s	30s, Dorothea's daughter
Echo 16, Dorothea's granddaughter	—	—	16, Dorothea's granddaughter
Dorothea 50s, a woman of some means	female	50s	50s, a woman of some means