Best Life
Written by Melisa Tien | Directed by Susanna Jaramillo with Cherrye J. Davis & Erin Anderson
“Hits with utterly timely resonance…Best Life is about that exact spot where the historical forces of injustice in America meet the individual capabilities of a single person.” - Exeunt NYC
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐…Funny and thoughtful, even while it asks its audience to interrogate their own behaviour.” - The Reviews Hub
Photo: Rosa Gilmore
If you could turn back time, what would you do differently? In this absurdly funny and unsettling new play, Lourdes, a woman of color aiming to get free, can rewind time—but only within the last five minutes. At a café, she meets Sheryl, a wealthy white woman with heartfelt yet deeply misguided intentions. As they talk, Lourdes keeps rewinding time in an attempt to have the ‘right’ conversation with Sheryl. Soon, the forces of social responsibility, public allyship, and private guilt creep their way into the exchange.
Tickets: $15.00 Preview | $20.00 Regular (Available HERE.)
Location: 20 Putnam Ave in Brooklyn. C or G train to Clinton-Washington. Shuttle to Franklin Ave.
Performance Dates & Times
Thursday, Oct. 21: 7:30 pm (preview)
Friday, Oct. 22: 7:30 pm (preview)
Saturday, Oct. 23: 7:30 pm (opening)
Wednesday, Oct. 27: 7:30 pm
Thursday, Oct. 28: 7:30 pm
Friday, Oct. 29: 2:30 pm & 7:30 pm
Saturday, Oct. 30: 7:30 pm
Wednesday, Nov. 3: 7:30pm
Thursday, Nov. 4: 7:30 pm
Friday, Nov. 5: 2:30 pm & 7:30 pm
Saturday, Nov. 6: 7:30 pm
Set Design: Deb O | Costume Design: Alicia J. Austin | Lighting Design: Christina Watanabe | Sound Design: Carsen Joenk | SM: TaTyana Smith | TD: Patrick Murphy | Production Assistant: Karen Loewy Movilla | Technical Assistants: Izzy Deveaux & Gill Hartley
PhotoS: Al FOOTE III
Best Life was initially scheduled to open March 2020, starring Ayesha Jordan and Erin Anderson.
It was featured in the Brooklyn Rail in a piece by Matthew Paul Olmos.
Then the pandemic hit….and theater took a pause. The play eventually opened in October 2021, with a new cast.
Best Life was part of the Bushwick Starr’s 2018 Starr Reading Series, featuring Erin Anderson and Kara Young.