Bachelorette

by Leslye Headland

Ten years out of high school, Regan, Gena and Katie convene in the luxurious bridal suite of their old friend, Becky, the night before her wedding in New York City. Fueled by jealousy and resentment, the girls embark on a night of debauchery that goes from playfully wasted to devastatingly destructive. Their old fears, unfulfilled desires and deep bonds with each other transform a prenuptial bender into a night they'll never forget. A wicked black comedy about female friendship and growing up in an age of excess.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Theatre

55 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Devon Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOMEN ARE CRUEL

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

BECKY. I didn't want them here because they destroy EVERYTHING.
GENA. Which is exactly why Regan invited us.

Boom.

I'm quite impressed with the writers of the movie for taking a funny, engaging, affecting play and turning it into what has become one of my favorite movies ever. Both play and movie just really capture the incredible way women can be so supportive and in tune with each other but also so unbelievably brutal, and then cycle through again.

[Matthew Akers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Really liked the play. It is better than the movie. The characters are more layered in the play. Brutally funny and intense, shattering and raw.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I hated these characters, there was something about the raw-ness and ugliness of these people that I loved. That ick factor familiar with Gaitskill's Bad Behavior came to mind. Headland was able to create these characters and make them so real, you knew people like them. I finished this short play t his morning and its still sitting with me. There's much to unpack here. I also watched the movie first and hated it. I feel like this film needs a re-watch.

Also, picked this up because I absolutely LOVED Russian Doll. While I know she is part creator along with Amy Poehler and Natasha Lyonne, Headland directed a majority of the episodes. That's some incisive storytelling.

[Gretta · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be SUCH a fun play to perform!! I did get the feeling after only a couple pages though that is was a race to see who the most despicable character would. NO ONE (well maybe one) is likable in this show. They are all hurtling toward self distraction.

[Cary S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a train wreck I could not look away from....

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rare occasion where I saw the movie based on this play before reading the script: the play is better and with darker humor. Worth checking out.

[katarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

🤣

[presley · Rating 4 out of 5]

really great really and satisifying ending! sooo want to direct this one day

[Daniel Beimford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting! But dated

[leah hohauser · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t rly care about these people until maybe the end when I started to a little despite myself

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, the first act of this play is what the movie Bridesmaids should have been. It is raunchy and brutally honest about what it means to be a single woman in today's society. There is foul language, copious amounts of alcohol drunk, and two guys who thought they were going to have a good time this night with two pretty girls. All the action takes place in a hotel room the night before a wedding.

The story is: three girls/women who are friends with the bride-to-be congregate in a hotel room the night before the wedding. The friends bad-mouth their friend, as she is the least attractive physically of the four, and her husband is the stuff romance novels are made of: he is rich, handsome and kind. What did she ever do to get him, and they are either alone or with losers?

Act 2 kind of spirals out of control and the good times become one awful mess. There is lots of destruction that occurs, both physically and emotionally. This is a daring play from a woman writer and from a woman's perspective. It addresses issues that have arisen since Sex & the City women got married and went off the air. Although I didn't care for the ending, I'm not quite sure how it could have ended any differently. Sometimes the outcome is not what we want, but merely what it is. I would love to see this on stage & would like to read more by this promising young playwright.

[Juliette II · Rating 1 out of 5]

Completely unlikeable characters, no real plot. Go to any bar and you can see this play for free. No woman will want to align herself with this hot mess.

[Trista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made for a terrific screenplay.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super funny play, very interesting contrast compared to the movie. No easy outs for any of the characters involved. Would love to see this on the stage.