THE STORY: FRAN’S BED asks the question: What constitutes a life? As Fran lies comatose in a hospital room, her husband, Hank, and two daughters, Vicki and Roberta, are forced to decide her fate, but in so doing, discover things about her and about themselves that they might have preferred to leave unexamined. Fran comfortably sits to the side and watches as her family tries to understand how this seemingly normal middle-aged housewife has come to her current situation. Their efforts to deal decisively with Fran’s future are complicated by her devoted nurse, Dolly, who brings a different perspective to the matter of death and what our responsibilities are to those who can’t speak for themselves. The play, told with wit and compassion, does not simplify the intellectual, political and emotional issue of a person’s right to life.
“James Lapine’s writing is graced by affecting, humorous, beautiful moments.” —Variety.
