For this week’s play recommendation I am going with a new favorite of mine, A Feminine Ending by Sarah Treem. This is a play that deserves to make it’s rounds in theaters, not only for it’s necessary messages, but also for it’s honesty and realism.

Amanda Blue is a talented musician who’s engaged to another musician that is about to be a famous rockstar. But when she visits home and finds out her mother is leaving her father, she begins to question the path she’s chosen. Between encounters with her high school boyfriend, catering to her fiancé, and learning of her mother’s passions in life, Amanda is in a whirlwind. What struck me with this play is not only the story of a female artist in a male dominated field, but other things such as the realistic portrayal of her relationship with both her old flame, and the man she’s planning to marry, life happening, expectations of men and women in society, and more.

But one other thing worth noting is that the play is kind to all the characters, which is something I found to be important. The characters are aware of their situations in life, however the ones who have the upper hand aren’t cold. But the audience asks themselves if it’ll stay that way.  I think all the characters learn life lessons and in the end we see the protagonist in a mixture of uncertainty and hope. It’s refreshing to see a play with this subject matter not be so cut and dry about the complexity of these issues and still get the message across. This play is an instant classic and I highly recommend it.