You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll want to call your mother.
In this engaging one woman, one act play based on her New York Times bestselling book, Mary Lou explores the laughter and tears of the story of a family in love, in loss and in triumph. The God Box: A Daughter's Story, performed by Mary Lou and co-written with and directed by Martha Wollner of New York City's critically acclaimed LAByrinth Theater Company, is an emotional rollercoaster of the heart. First presented as a workshop in New York City’s Irish Repertory Theater in November 2011, the show has traveled from NYC’s Off-Broadway gem, The Cherry Lane Theater, to The Kimmel Center Innovation Studio in Philadelphia, PA, The Warehouse in Greenville, SC and dozens of stages from Boston to Chicago, Indiana to Omaha. Thousands have followed Mary Lou’s journey to life’s ultimate challenge: learning to let go.
The production features the work of some of New York theater's best and brightest sound, lighting and visual designers. After a sold out Off-Broadway run at 59E 59 Theater, the show rocked 24 performances at the prestigious Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2014 at Assembly Roxy theater where it earned rave four and five star reviews. Best honor of all? The God Box Project has helped communities along the way, raising over $650,000 for cancer, hospice, education, women’s and community causes.
Audiences from around the US and the world have fallen in love with this solo performance. "Indelibly etched on my soul--so incredibly honest, heart-opening, poignant, funny...unforgettable!" "'The God Box' shines bright light on the quiet heroism of caregivers with humor and grace." "A great way for mothers and daughters to bond...for anyone who holds their loved ones dear." And as one audience member wrote "I was a hot mess...laughing, sobbing, fantastic."
"Based on her own New York Times bestseller, the production is a sweet tale, peppered with vignettes and meanders, which all add to flavour this sense of a life, and the people who touched it.
The titular God Box is a wicker container in which Quinlan's mother would drop scraps of paper with tiny prayers for her friends and family. It acts as a touching and unique focal point to the charity of the woman, and her deep kindness towards the people she knew.
Charting the story of the death of both her parents, Quinlan manages to be comic, tragic and endearing by measure, all portrayed against a seguing projected display of photographs and imagery.
A truly beautiful play, with a heart full of love behind it."
— British Theatre Guide
“The God Box is a show which is well worth seeing. This one woman show is heartfelt, well acted, engaging and supplemented with great production. A simple collection of props allows Mary Lou Quinlan the support a single performer needs without crowding the stage. Quinlan delivers each new tale with as much passion as the last. The show’s subject matter is very theatrical. A lot of the turns and twists make you realise how an ordinary person's story can make a touching stage production with the right adaptation.
Overall this enjoyable play is emotionally open...very tender and relatable. Quinlan's character is vulnerable and basely human; she’s warm and understandable. The love for her mother which forms the basis of the story can never be doubted as anything other than genuine. And seeing as this is what The God Box is about, it results in an impressive production."
— Broadway Baby
Selected Scenes from The God Box, A Daughter’s Story
The God Box, A Daughter’s Story Gallery
