An Imaginary Life
Anne G. Wilder Theater
Written by
Peter Parnell
Directed by Don Scardino
Matt Abelman, a playwright and a divorced, middle-aged man, has found a lump that may or may not be malignant. As his fear of death overtakes him, the fabric of his life begins to unravel. He retreats to his typewriter, weaving fantastic tales while searching for a fictional way out of his very real problems. While we watch the tales unfold, are we seeing Matt's reality or his fantasies? Matt's tales become a play-within-a-play that is both dizzying and breathtaking. At a time when illness and premature death permeate our society, the play's positive philosophy of living life to the fullest is enormously uplifting.
Photo of Caroline Aaron, Chip Zien, and Reed Birney by Joan Marcus.
“Parnell has mixed fantasy and reality. He's a whiz at up-to-the-minute jokes.”
— Newsday