‘Maybe, Tomorrow’ a powerful look at relationships
Maybe Tomorrow challenges audiences to reconsider isolation, agency, and the fundamental question: What do we owe each other? With its bold storytelling and thought-provoking themes, this Off-Broadway premiere is set to leave a lasting impact on theatergoers.
Abingdon Theatre Company Premieres Max Mondi’s Maybe Tomorrow Off-Broadway
Abingdon Theatre Company is set to debut the Off-Broadway premiere of Maybe Tomorrow, a compelling new play by Max Mondi. Directed by Chad Austin, this production features Tony Award nominee Elizabeth A. Davis and Younger star Dan Amboyer.
A Story of Isolation and Reflection
Inspired by true events, Maybe Tomorrow follows Gail and Ben, a couple whose seemingly thriving decade-long relationship is thrown into uncertainty. With a baby on the way and new challenges arising, Gail retreats into the bathroom of their mobile home, where she remains as the outside world slowly fades. The play forces audiences to question reality, relationships, and the mental struggles of those feeling stuck.
Playwright Max Mondi first encountered the real-life inspiration for his story in 2008 while interning at the Guthrie Theater. A Kansas woman had lived in her bathroom for two years, answering daily pleas to leave with a simple “Maybe tomorrow.” This haunting phrase stayed with Mondi for years until he finally wrote the play in 2014. Maybe Tomorrowfirst premiered at the Fringe Festival, winning the Overall Excellence Award for Best Play. After years of development and delays due to the pandemic, Abingdon Theatre Company has now given the play its Off-Broadway home.
Bringing Maybe Tomorrow to the Stage
Director Chad Austin, who has been attached to the play since 2018, describes it as one of the bravest works he has read in recent years. “It’s not the easiest play to produce,” he notes, referring to its raw themes and unconventional premise. However, he believes that its exploration of human resilience, loneliness, and mental health makes it a perfect fit for Abingdon’s commitment to bold and innovative theater.
Both Mondi and Austin acknowledge that while the play’s premise is rooted in an unusual real-life event, Maybe Tomorrow is not merely a retelling but an expansion of its central themes. Rather than portraying Gail as a victim of mental illness, the play allows audiences to explore her decision as an act of agency.
“What if she’s making this choice willingly?” Mondi asks. “What if it’s actually better for her than the life she was living before?”
Austin adds that the play invites the audience to interpret reality through their own lens: Does Benji, Gail’s son, even exist? Does she recognize the audience? What part of her world is real, and what is illusion?
A Timely Conversation on Mental Health and Isolation
The themes of Maybe Tomorrow have become even more relevant post-pandemic. As the world grapples with the lasting effects of isolation and altered social behaviors, the play offers a reflection on how we connect—or fail to connect—with each other.
“We are removing interactions from our lives,” Mondi observes. “Even after the pandemic, we choose no-contact delivery, Zoom meetings over in-person discussions. It’s easier to be alone than to put in the effort to engage. But over time, that corrodes us.”
Austin echoes this sentiment, stating that the play’s examination of Gail’s self-imposed isolation mirrors larger societal issues, including the erasure of women in certain spaces and shifting family dynamics.
Performances (and Special Events)
Maybe Tomorrow begins its limited run at the Mezzanine Theatre at A.R.T./New York Theatres on March 15, with opening night set for March 20. The play will run through April 6, 2025. A series of special talkbacks will accompany select performances, including discussions with Paige Bellenbaum of The Motherhood Center (March 27) and representatives from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (April 3). Director Chad Austin will also host a conversation about his process following the March 26 performance.
For tickets and more information, visit Abingdon Theatre Company’s official website https://www.abingdontheatre.org