Blazing on in its new season with curated panache, Everyman Theatre introduces the world premiere of Resident Company member Katie Kleiger’s incisively multilayered play, Different Words for Happiness.
Seamlessly balancing a boldly focused narrative, director Laura Kepley acutely leverages Everyman’s intimate layout with Kleiger’s sharp dialogue to dial up the intensity of the three characters’ interactions, with engaging transitions from tense moments (sparked by the ghost of a past romantic relationship) to mindfully keen staging and relatable interactions that toggle from suspenseful to vulnerable to comedic.
Resident scenic designer Daniel Ettinger and lighting designer Juan M. Juarez collaborate to enhance the minimalistic set design and echo the complex internal state of the characters, mirroring the transition from clinical reality to visceral emotion and rawness. This was particularly punctuated by the glowing light bar framing the stage, which functioned as an outline and a border.
Each member of the outstanding three-person ensemble worked in remarkable tandem and cohesion to create a grounded, rhythmic dynamic.
Company member Megan Anderson as Eleanor convincingly plays a steady, reflective, and grounded middle-aged gynecologist, navigating an internal midlife crisis, unfulfilled ambitions, and a profound shift when her path collides with Em Whitworth’s Ava.
Whitworth’s performance as the younger woman thrown into an abrupt emotional and physical upheaval after a late-night call from an ex-lover (played by Maboud Ebrahimzadeh) is raw, vulnerable, and memorable, particularly when coupled with her comedic physicality and disarming humor. Her catwalk, inspired by the TV series America’s Next Top Model and improvised dance moves, for example, highlighted her notable chemistry with Anderson and showcased her natural ability to add unhinged, laugh-out-loud moments of levity.
Ebrahimzadeh’s portrayal of Nathan as the complicated, restless ex-lover leaves a lingering impression as the inciting ghost who shatters Ava’s fragile equilibrium and drags her back to a past she thought she left behind. His character drives the play’s darker, heavier currents of betrayal and infidelity.
Evocatively gripping, thrilling, and transformative, Different Words for Happiness walks a masterful tightrope between tense psychological drama and crackling comedy, exploring women’s power to take control of their own narratives, make independent choices, and reclaim their agency.
Running Time: Approximately one hour and 40 minutes with no intermission
Different Words for Happiness plays through November 15, 2026, at Everyman Theatre, 315 West Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD. Purchase tickets ($69.50–$89.500 online, by contacting the box office at boxoffice@everymantheatre.org, or by calling 410.752.2208. Standard box office hours are Monday through Friday, 12 p.m.–5 p.m., and closed on Saturday and Sunday. The box office will open 2 hours before every performance, including weekends. Everyman offers more than 700 Pay-What-You-Choose seats throughout the run, with seats allocated for every performance.
The playbill is online here.
The production contains profanity; references to infidelity, cancer, and miscarriage; discussions about reproductive systems; a simulated breast exam and gynecological exam; and physical violence.
