Synopsis
Take three delicious, malicious wives, add three miserable, unloving husbands—and chill. That's the recipe of Michele Lowe's tantalizing new comedy that had Broadway audiences cheering. The Smell of the Kill revolves around Nicky, Debra and Molly who have tolerated one another during once-a-month dinners for years. While their unseen spouses play golf in the dining room, the women exchange confidences for the first time revealing that all three marriages are on the brink of disaster and all three women are facing the challenges of their lives. Nicky's husband has been indicted for embezzlement, Molly's husband is stalking her and Debra's husband is leaving her for another woman. When the men mistakenly lock themselves in a basement meat locker the women are faced with a life-or-death decision—should they leave the men out in the cold—permanently—or let them thaw? One by one the women make their choices with more than a little help from one another. "…nice, mean fun…a deft little anti-love story…light-hearted, cold-hearted…" (Newsday) "[a] devilish, wicked, ultimately touching black comedy." (The Berkshire Eagle) "Effective black comedies are rare these days and this is a rich torte…it has a superb crustiness which supplies an evening of nearly continuous laughter." (The Advocate) "…the play boasts lines and scenes that have the audience laughing as uproariously as The Producers." (Variety)
Notes
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Details
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Status
In stock
- Type of Show Full-length Play
- Product Code SH2000
- Cast Size 6
- Min. Royalty Rate $110/perf
- Cost $11.95
- Approx. Run Time 70 min
Categories
- Target Audience High School | College and Adult
- Performing Group High School | College Theatre | Community Theatre | Professional Theatre | Touring Group
- Genre Comedy
- ISBN(13) 9781583421451
Customer Reviews
- "The play was widely critically received and enjoyed."
- Review by Barbara Krajkowski, Women's Theater Company, Parsippany, N.J.
- "We produced this show at two different theatres and the audiences liked it a lot. The best audience was when we did one special "Ladies Only" night with free champagne and refreshments. We had women yelling, "Kill him!" from the audience."
- Review by Marylou Ambrose, Lakeside Players, Tafton, Pa.
- "The Smell of the Kill is a hilarious "chick" play. It is a joy to perform in and a challenge to produce. I can honestly say that each and every audience member loved the show. No exceptions! This is a crowd pleaser."
- Review by Deborah Zimmer, Theatrx, Vista, Calif.
- "It was a great script for college audiences. We had consistently strong comments on the show and got a great review in our daily paper. Clever writing, strong characters and a terrific premise made for great fun!"
- Review by Daniel Yurgaitis, Northern State University, Aberdeen, S.D.
- "The Smell of the Kill was a howling success. The play was enjoyed by over 120 retired and senior citizens. (We typically have 35 each performance.) As one senior lady said, "I voted to leave the men in the meat locker." Enough said, it was great."
- Review by Leonard Overholser, Ageless Repertory Theatre, Reno, Nev.
Media Reviews
"[The Smell of the Kill] boasts lines and scenes that have the audience laughing as uproariously as The Producers." -Variety"A very funny guilty pleasure." -NY 1 News
Production Map
| Location | City | State | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Theatre Inc. | Bremerton | Washington | 5/16/2024 | 5/26/2024 |
Downloads
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Gallery
Evansville Civic Theatre, Evansville, IN
Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD
Palm Beach Dramaworks, West Palm Beach, FL
