Grief Hotel
by Liza Birkenmeier

Name: Grief Hotel
Brand: Liza Birkenmeier
SKU: 9780573711831
Rating: 3.56 (9 reviews)

Off-Broadway

Grief Hotel Book Cover — Grief Hotel Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

75 mins Present Day Ensemble Cast Interior Set Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes Comedy

Awards & Recognition

Obie Award

Winner! 2024 Obie Award (Special Citation)

Synopsis

News of a missing acquaintance brings old friends (and ex-lovers) back together.

Relationships re-form around natural and unnatural disasters, and everyone ends up at Aunt Bobbi’s house, even though her parties are cursed.

Loss is fast, but grief is slow, and Aunt Bobbi’s going to try to make everyone feel better.

Liza Birkenmeier’s new play is a dark comedy about the commodification of healing.

Press Reviews

"Outstanding… a sneaky marvel… rather than handing you tidy packages of exposition, Grief Hotel trusts you to fall into an already rushing river, find a branch, and hang on."
— Vulture

"A unique exploration of romantic relationships… Birkenmeier’s deft writing and her affinity for morbid humor return here, and despite its title, Grief Hotel doesn’t simply dwell on the grim; it’s actually a dark comedy."
— The New York Times

"Unexpectedly shattering… a crazy quilt of intersecting characters and intertwined relationships… Liza Birkenmeier’s Obie Award–winning play paints a gorgeously impressionistic picture of a group of acquaintances in loneliness, contemplation and despair."
— New York Stage Review

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Em Ceremoniously agitated, thirties	—	—	Ceremoniously agitated, thirties
Winn Sadly impulsive, same age as Em	—	—	Sadly impulsive, same age as Em
Teresa Unnervingly self-satisfied, a little younger	—	—	Unnervingly self-satisfied, a little younger
Rohit Uncertain but so deliberate, same age as Em and Winn	—	—	Uncertain but so deliberate, same age as Em and Winn
Asher Used to be famous, twenty to thirty years older than Winn	—	—	Used to be famous, twenty to thirty years older than Winn
Aunt Bobbi A force	—	—	A force