This week, playwright. producer and director Del Shores steps out of his signature Sordid Lives universe into a different Southern comedy. This week, he brings the world premiere of Momma Won’t Die to the stage. Written by Dallas actress and first-time playwright Patty Pell and her daughter Laurie Grigsby, the play opens June 12 in Bryant Hall on the Kalita Humphreys Theater campus and runs through June 28.
Inspired by true events, Momma Won’t Die follows three generations of Southern women navigating death, dysfunction and long-buried family tensions all while their 108-year-old matriarch maintains a death grip on life. Packed with sharp humor, emotional honesty and eccentric small-town characters, the play blends Southern Gothic charm with heartfelt family storytelling.
Southern charm and Southern women? Perhaps this is still in the Sordid Lives universe — just maybe a few counties over.
Pell, 80, developed the script through a workshop with Shores and it was a simple moent that led to the title.
“Del heard me say, ‘but Momma just won’t die,’ and told me, ‘That’s your title. That’s your play,’” Pell said in a press release. Her guiding principle: “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.”
What began as a personal story about Pell’s late mother evolved into a collaboration with her daughter and ultimately into a full-length stage production.
“When Patty and Laurie shared this story with me, I immediately wanted to be part of bringing it to life, especially in North Texas, ” Shores mentioend. “Dallas has long been one of my favorite places for theater and one of my favorite cities to visit. There’s a real appreciation here for stories that are character-driven, emotional and unapologetically Southern, which makes this the perfect place for Momma Won’t Die to make its debut.”
The ensemble cast features several familiar faces from the Dallas theater scene including Morgana Shaw, Katie King, Cynthia Louise Sanders, Nancy Chartier, Bruce Melena, Kishor Ryan, Cathy Fithian and Becca Spencer.
Presented by Clark, Pell & King Productions, tickets are on sale at MommaWontDie.com.
–Rich Lopez