Glory Us was born during a series of Tinder conversations I had with a guy named Matt. (They’re all named Matt, right?) We had been flirting a lot, and I was kinda into him, but he would disappear for a couple days sometimes. We had what was probably my favorite Tinder conversation ever – texting all night – and then I didn’t hear from him for a day, and even though one day is not a huge deal, I was a little down. So I wrote him a silly text in the form of a tiny play. A version of that has turned out to be the last scene of Glory Us. I liked it so much that I kept writing, kind of working backwards, but somewhere the story changed dramatically. I’m not sure how I got from where I started – an actual conversation about my long-standing fascination with glory holes – to the play I ended up with – a ribald and raw attempt to work through hard times by holding onto the things that give you joy.
I do know that I am very fortunate to have a remarkable director and cast to help me bring this tangled story to life. Getting stuck in your own head and trying to climb out of it is difficult in any circumstance, but it’s a mess on stage. My story is complicated because putting all those scattered thoughts and voices onstage isn’t easy, but with guidance from Director Emily Canavan, actors Harvey Fitz, Susan Gross, Mitch Irzinski, and Cristen Stephansky make it seem that way. The life they breathe into their characters – family members, imagined versions of family members at different ages, and Tinder guys – brings clarity to the chaos.
Although my struggle with tragedy is at the heart of this show, it’s more dark comedy than tear-jerker. It’s also briefly a musical. Glory Us is a good time, and it will leave you with a lot to talk about in the morning.
See for yourself at the PWYC preview on Friday, December 4th at 8 pm, or on December 6th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th at 8 pm, and December 13th at 3 pm.
Running Time is about 60 minutes.
The Fridge is at 516 1/2 8th Street, SE, in Washington, DC, 20003 in the adorable alley between 8th and 9th Streets. The alley is between Belga Cafe and Senart’s Oyster & Chop House, across the street from Matchbox Pizza on 8th Street,SE, Barracks Row in Eastern Market. If you’re taking Metro, exit the Eastern Market Station (orange and blue lines) and go straight towards the Starbucks on the corner. Turn right on 8th, and walk two blocks to the alley.
