The Happy Family
a staged reading
by Jan Jalenak
Directed by Alastair boag
Part of New light theater project's spotlight series
About the play
Cast includes:
Liz Warner as Joyce
Deb Offner as Doris
Brandi Nicole Wilson as Robin
Jason Nuzzo as Adam
Liz Pepe as Jodi
PJ Sosko as Bob
Ruth Pferdehirt as Terri
Jeremiah Cothren as Skip
McKenna Cox as Chris
Matt Biagini as Jason
Jenson Smith as Melanie
Kerry Malloy as Damion
Eric Goss as Jeremy
Zoe Van Tieghem as Sarah
Barry Hirsch as Leo
Emma Buford, Stage Directions
For bios and production history.

A family gathers in the West Village in Manhattan to celebrate the recently widowed Joyce’s 65th birthday. The evening unravels into chaos as the domineering matriarch’s true colors come out with each family member misrepresenting their present life situations in an effort to make it a harmonious evening and keep the illusion of being a “happy family”. It turns out that lying, sexual games, manipulation, dominance and love are the glue that holds this family together. The façade of happiness is like a house of cards that cascades down when the reality of the personalities crash into each other as the lies are revealed.