Macmillan and Donahoe first presented the show in its current form at the Ludlow and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals before Donahoe starred in an off-Broadway iteration at the Barrow Street Theatre in 2014. Hundreds of regional and international performances followed; as of 2024, the play has been translated into 66 languages and staged in 63 countries.
Ross credits the play’s reach to the universality of its themes. “Although it is not my story at all, it still feels like every feeling inside it is mine,” she says. “Even if the world weren’t the way it was, it is a human thing to experience that kind of hurt inside, whether there’s a reason or not. This play doesn’t lean into that, but leans into the idea that things can change, and there are brilliant things in life that make it worth living.”
Another notable element is its reliance on audience participation, including having attendees fill the roles of family members and teachers. With the United States currently in the throes of a mental health crisis, Ross revels in the chance to directly engage attendees in what she considers one big celebration of being alive.
“My job is really to be a conductor of sorts, and to fill the space with wonder and connection—really to set the tone that we are all there to flourish. There’s no doing it wrong, and there’s no mistakes,” Ross says. “One woman played the lecturer, and she said, ‘I’m nervous,’ and I said, ‘So am I. We can be nervous together.’ I feel so deeply grateful for the people that are willing to face their nervousness and their discomfort and the not knowing, and show up anyway, and kind of play in that moment, and play with me.”
Photo: Matthew Murphy
She adds: “It’s why I love being an actor, both from the perspective of sharing the human experience, and also because I get to connect with other people. So this show, I feel, is tailor-made.”
