←Recommendations of The Most Lamentable Comedie of Jane the Foole

Funnie centers the friendship between a woman we know a lot about, Anne Boleyn, and a woman we know little about, Jane the Foole, while building the absurd, chaotic world they have to navigate. It’s funny, sharp, and relevant. The ensemble is excellent; every character gets delightful, unexpected moments. Moss writes with a precise, overlapping rhythm that keeps the play driving forward with wit and intelligence. I've read it twice; I adore it. Theaters should be clamoring to do this one.

"Funnie" balances precariously on the tightrope between laughing and crying, between hope and hopelessness, between the past and present. From a starting point of satirizing the struggles of women in comedy, the play barrels past that into a larger story of how the power dynamics of class and gender shape our ability to achieve, or even fight for, restorative justice. A moste merrie satyr play.

Screamingly, HOWLINGLY funny!! It's a razer-sharp, biting satire that keeps you laughing the whole time. The biggest crime of our era is that this play is not being produced everywhere. If you have a classical theatre, program this show immediately! If you've ever heard the phrase "Women aren't funny," program this show immediately! If you have hilarious actresses in your life who are losing hope, program this show immediately. Brilliant!

Holy mackerel. I'm entirely won over by this comedy of rage, this extremely funny vivisection of awful societal structures and strictures, this profound and sometimes profoundly silly and often very sad examination of, ya know ... horrible sexism built into our social norms. Every character is fresh and distinct, and the writer's voice couldn't be more clear as well. Love, love, love this one.

LOVE IT. This play is about a woman in King Henry VIII's court who wants to be a comedian, but it's also about sexual harassment and the weighing all women of all time have always had to do between standing up and speaking out and letting things slide, knowing it will be way worse for them than for the men behaving badly. A wonderful commentary on what it's like to be female and the exhaustion of tap dancing backwards and in heels, wishing and praying and striving, while men are able to take and use what they want.

This is a hysterical read: a formally-daring, caustic look at comedy's #metoo moment through the lens of an aspiring female jester in King Henry's court. Medieval standup while sending up Louis CK? Sign me up.

It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend Jessica Moss and their play Funnie: The Most Lamentable Comedie of Jane the Foole as a finalist for our 2020 National Playwrights Conference. This particular work emerged from a highly competitive, anonymous, and multi-tiered selection process to become one of 63 finalists out of more than 1,500 submissions. This enthralling piece galvanized the hearts and theatrical imaginations of our reading teams and is fully championed by our offices. We are honored to put our enthusiastic support behind this writer and their ongoing contributions to the American Theater.