Mom, Why Can’t You Get ‘Well’

Virginia Wall Gruenert & Daina Michelle Griffith.
Photo by Heather Mull.
Well is a seriously funny play! Autobiographical in nature, it is the story of a mother-daughter relationship.

Ann, played by Virginia Wall Gruenert, has galvanized the community by spearheading the racial integration of a Lansing, Michigan neighborhood, but is not able to cure her own mysterious illness, which she attributes to unidentifiable allergies. Lisa, played by Daina Michelle Griffith, struggles with her mother’s inability to heal herself.  Lisa not only blames her mother for the impact her health has on her own life, but also assumes that she has the same life altering ‘allergies’ as her mother.

If you’re looking for a unique experience in a Pittsburgh theater, join us for this play.  You’ll laugh as you, the audience, are not only entertained by both sides of the story, but become part of the play as the actors and characters voice their awareness of you.

December 13-28. Pittsburgh Theater Live
Well, written by Lisa Kron, is a riotously funny play that acknowledges the heartbreaking challenge of true empathy.  Appropriate for ages 16+.  Click here for tickets and information.  Tickets on sale now.

About Daina Michelle Griffith (Lisa): Daina is thrilled to end 2013 here at Off The Wall surrounded by friends, new and not-so-new. This is her third production with this exciting company, most recently appearing in this season's opener The Zero Hour and last season's Looking for the Pony.  Daina just completed a run of The Motherf**ker With The Hat with barebones productions, and was seen earlier in the year in All My Sons (The REP), Viva Los Bastarditos! (No Name Players) and John Gabriel Borkman (Quantum Theatre). She has performed with theatres across the country and in NYC, including Kansas City Starlight, Human Race Theatre, Gateway Playhouse, heXtc, NYC International Fringe Festival, among others.  Locally: Pittsburgh Public Theater, Quantum Theatre, PICT, City Theatre, Bricolage, Carrnivale Theatrics, Pittsburgh CLO, Pittsburgh Musical Theater and Prime Stage.  Film: The Dark Knight Rises (Foley's wife), Love and Other Drugs, Civilians.  Up next: Company at Pittsburgh Public Theater.

About Virginia Wall Gruenert (Ann): was last seen playing Juliana in The Other Place, Off The Wall’s first production in their new Carnegie venue.  A graduate of Syracuse University, she studied acting, voice, and movement in New York, London, and in L.A. with the legendary Stella Adler.  Favorite roles include Martha in Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Dr. Livingston in Agnes of God, Thelma in ‘night, Mother (Off The Wall), various roles in her original play Shaken & Stirred (Off The Wall and Theater 54 in NYC), Aunt Meme in Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Wanda in Kennedy’s Children (Syracuse Stage).  Her short play Bugaboo was produced at Swan Day Pittsburgh 2012, and her full-length play Without Ruth was produced here at OTW in May 2013.  Virginia is a proud member of The League of Professional Theater Women, The Dramatists Guild of America and Actors’ Equity Association.  She serves as Artistic Director of Off The Wall Theater.

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