Placebo
Mainstage Theater
A new play by
Melissa James Gibson
Directed by Daniel Aukin
WORLD PREMIERE
A minty green pill—medication or sugar? Louise is working on a placebo-controlled study of a new female arousal drug. As her work in the lab navigates the blurry lines between perception and deception, more and more these same questions pertain to her life at home. With uncanny insight and unparalleled wit, Melissa James Gibson’s affectionate comedy examines slippery truths and the power of crossed fingers.
“The gifted Melissa James Gibson puts amusingly off-kilter exchanges in the mouths of her everyday characters with convincing grace. Carrie Coon and William Jackson Harper are excellent. Ms. Coon brings a touching, forlorn quality to her performance.”
— Charles Isherwood, The New York Times“Smart, droll, beautifully observed, and beautifully performed.”
— Jesse Green, New York magazine
“Director Daniel Aukin’s work is sterling. Carrie Coon is incandescent. William Jackson Harper, Alex Hurt, and Florencia Lozano are terrific!”
— Marilyn Stasio, Variety