THE STORY: THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST is the story of Jackie, a man whose wife has abruptly and mysteriously left him and their infant daughter. Confounded by his wife’s unexplained absence and unable to pay for daycare, Jackie accepts the free services of his stepmother, Joyce, to babysit until his wife returns. The involvement of a neighbor who knows more than he should and a house painter who finds countless excuses not to finish the job compound a drama of crossed boundaries and increasingly complex family dynamics.
“Donaghy holds a cracked mirror up to the contemporary American family, anatomizing its frailties and miscommunications in fractured language that can be both funny and poignant.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“In classic Off-Broadway fashion, THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST is a small play that takes on lofty issues. Such cold topics as loneliness, abandonment and despair are warmed by AUGUST’S humor and insight.” —NY One.
“Donaghy’s sharp, eccentric new comedy. Pungently funny…fresh and precise…” —Los Angeles Times.
“…blends black comedy, social satire, farce and pathos into a hearty brew.” —USA Today.
