Here Comes The Night

by Lisa Kenner Grissom

When Olivia, a musician’s wife and climate science advocate, invites Maggie, an aspiring social media influencer, to spend the weekend with her while she has an at-home medical abortion, she doesn’t realize that her old friend is going to throw her wildly off course. These women of different generations are about to alter each other’s lives in ways they hadn’t expected or imagined. What happens when a woman’s...

When Olivia, a musician’s wife and climate science advocate, invites Maggie, an aspiring social media influencer, to spend the weekend with her while she has an at-home medical abortion, she doesn’t realize that her old friend is going to throw her wildly off course. These women of different generations are about to alter each other’s lives in ways they hadn’t expected or imagined. What happens when a woman’s right to choose becomes a litmus test for all of her life choices?

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Here Comes The Night

Recommended by

  • Daniel Prillaman: Here Comes The Night by Lisa Kenner Grissom
    “

    I had the opportunity to see a production of this at Moving Arts and was just blown away. Grissom’s script is beautiful & deftly structured, portraying a nuanced, lived-in friendship between two women brought together again by unexpected circumstances. I appreciate how the conflict exponentially grows as the women realize how much they’ve changed (or not?) in the other’s absence, casting neither as the villain, but individuals w/hopes, dreams, regrets, and personas private & public. Brilliant.

    I had the opportunity to see a production of this at Moving Arts and was just blown away. Grissom’s script is beautiful & deftly structured, portraying a nuanced, lived-in friendship between two women brought together again by unexpected circumstances. I appreciate how the conflict exponentially grows as the women realize how much they’ve changed (or not?) in the other’s absence, casting neither as the villain, but individuals w/hopes, dreams, regrets, and personas private & public. Brilliant.

    ”
  • Brian James Polak: Here Comes The Night by Lisa Kenner Grissom
    “

    This play is intense and powerful and moving.

    This play is intense and powerful and moving.

    ”
  • Playwrights Foundation: Here Comes The Night by Lisa Kenner Grissom
    “

    The community of National Committee readers for the 46th Bay Area Playwrights Festival advanced HERE COMES THE NIGHT as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We were engaged by the precarious situation and the tensions that arose in this relevant play firmly rooted in LA culture and a strong theatrical portrait of place. We appreciated the central question of when female friends diverge in their life paths, can they be there for each other when it counts? We hope this play is considered for further development and investigation, and finds dedicated collaborators in this play’s journey...

    The community of National Committee readers for the 46th Bay Area Playwrights Festival advanced HERE COMES THE NIGHT as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We were engaged by the precarious situation and the tensions that arose in this relevant play firmly rooted in LA culture and a strong theatrical portrait of place. We appreciated the central question of when female friends diverge in their life paths, can they be there for each other when it counts? We hope this play is considered for further development and investigation, and finds dedicated collaborators in this play’s journey towards production. #BAPF46

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    ”
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Character Information

Also: Floaty Voice - a young, female voice, like "Alexa"
  • Olivia
    OLIVIA (mid 40's) - Olivia is a woman who hasn't had to worry about money, after meeting her successful jazz musician husband at a show and getting married soon after. She's always had dreams and aspirations of doing good things in the world, but never seems to act on them. Although her life looks enviable on the surface, her marriage is floundering, her circle of friends are more friends of convenience, and her midwestern family can't really relate to her lifestyle. In other words, she's pretty much alone.
    Mid-40's
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Maggie
    MAGGIE (mid 30'S) - A true millennial who lives her life on social media. A lost puppy in her 20's, she came to Los Angeles from Seattle. After trying on a few things (acting, yoga instructor, etc) she found her calling as a "ritual coach" - a title she created for herself. Although all looks fun on the surface, she isn't really "adulting" the way she should be at her age and she's truly lonely. She's charming and unrelenting and says "amazing" a lot.
    Mid 30's
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female

Development History

  • Workshop, Palm Beach Dramaworks, 2021
  • Workshop, Garage Theatre Ensemble, 2021

Production History

  • Professional, Moving Arts Theatre, 2025
  • Professional, SheLA Festival, 2024

Awards

  • Excellence in Writing
    SheLA / SheNYC Arts
    Winner
    2024
  • The O'Neill National Playwrights Conference
    Semi-Finalist
    2024
  • Princess Grace Playwriting Fellowship
    New Dramatists
    Semi-Finalist
    2022
  • Second-Rounder AFF Playwriting Competition
    Austin Film Festival
    2021
  • Gary Marshall Theatre New Works Festival
    Garry Marshall Theatre
    Semi-Finalist
    2020