by James Lapine
First published 2007
Fran watches from the sidelines as her own life hangs in the balance. She lies comatose in a hospital bed while her husband Hank and daughters Vicki and Roberta struggle with an impossible choice. Should they keep her on life support or let her go? The decision forces them to confront uncomfortable truths about the woman they thought they knew. Fran was supposed to be an ordinary middle-aged housewife, but her family's attempts to understand how she ended up in this condition reveal hidden complexities. Their nurse Dolly complicates matters further, bringing her own strong views about death and the obligations we have to those who cannot advocate for themselves. As the family debates Fran's future, they must also reckon with their own assumptions and relationships. Lapine presents this ethical dilemma without easy answers, exploring the messy intersection of love, duty, and personal autonomy that emerges when families face life-and-death decisions.
Genres: fiction, drama, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-dynamics, moral-dilemma
60 pages · Paperback · Dramatist's Play Service
Content warnings: death, terminal-illness