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Rapture, Blister, Burn

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Women are running for president. Men are exfoliating. It's all you can't read the signs.Can any woman have it all? After university Catherine and Gwen chose opposite Catherine built a career as a rock-star academic, while Gwen built a home with a husband and children. Decades later, unfulfilled in opposite ways, each woman covets the other’s life, and a dangerous game begins as each tries to claim the other’s territory. Sparks fly and the age-old question what do women really want?Gina Gionfriddo dissects modern gender politics in this breathtakingly witty and virtuosic comedy, set in a small New England college town. Traversing the experiences of women across the generations, this play is a hugely entertaining exploration of a new style of feminism, ripe for the twenty-first century.Rapture, Blister, Burn was commissioned by Playwrights Horizons, where it premiered, with funds from the Harold and Mim Steinberg Charitable Trust. It received its UK premiere at the Hampstead Theatre, London, in January 2014.

70 pages, Paperback

First published March 19, 2014

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Gina Gionfriddo

8 books6 followers

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5 stars
69 (22%)
4 stars
123 (39%)
3 stars
84 (26%)
2 stars
30 (9%)
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6 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
Profile Image for arjeta .
65 reviews3 followers
May 25, 2025
wow ich hatte so wenig spaß, das einziege was mich entertained hat war der schwule sohn der legit 30 mal wicked am broadway gesehen hat #legende
Profile Image for Lauren.
1,447 reviews83 followers
August 5, 2020
Love the concept of two women who knew each other in grad school but went in widely different directions – one became a SAHM, the other a well-respected professor – reconnecting and wondering ‘what if.’

Gionfriddo, however, has to be quirky and unique. What could have been a powerful tale of the choices women make turns into a soap-opera love triangle. Instead of depth audiences get women fighting over a man and lots of dysfunction. Gionfriddo has very little grasp of Gwen, the SAHM, as a character or person. I’d even suggest she has little interest in trying to understand a woman who chose home and family over a career, which is to the detriment of the entire play.

Even Catherine, the rock-star academic, feels like a cipher than any of the academic women I’ve known. Not recommended.
Profile Image for Si Squires-Kasten.
97 reviews9 followers
July 10, 2018
Very poorly constructed, in addition to being pretty boring. Its post-feminist critique requires that you believe in a strawman feminism which posits that women would literally never suffer any negative consequences as a result of their emancipation. The characters are all one-dimensional, their voices sound the same, and their choices feel singularly designed to forward the play’s thesis without complexity or nuance. No more bourgeois dinner party plays
Profile Image for Aaron Thomas.
Author 6 books56 followers
December 30, 2017
Cute, but, like, I don't get why this is a play. Not theatrical at all.
Profile Image for Madelein.
134 reviews1 follower
September 18, 2025
me when I read the Phyllis Schlafly Propaganda play.

this play had a cool title that relates not at all. and a cool concept of torture porn and feminism. and then does nothing with it. i feel like this play is reflective of anti-sjw mindset of the 2010s. also don sux
Profile Image for Sarah.
320 reviews5 followers
April 23, 2020
So I picked this up on a whim at a charity shop years ago, and as I came to read it I realised that in the time since I bought it I've done loads of work at Hampstead Theatre, where it had its UK debut! So it was nice to be able to picture it being staged so realistically!

I really enjoyed this, but I have to say I wasn't in love with any of the characters. I mainly enjoyed all of the feminist debate and info about second wave feminism that I gained. The characters themselves seemed to be looking to various feminist theorists to explain why they were miserable, when really their lives were just not what they wanted, irrespective of them being women.

There was this weird theme of there only being 2 types of women - those who sacrifice family for their career, and those who sacrifice career for their family. I don't find that this is in line with my own feminism, and I don't think it accurately describes the lives of any women I know. So, although I respect the symmetry that the play is using for structure, I found it very hard to connect to the lives of the characters.
Profile Image for Yourfiendmrjones.
167 reviews1 follower
April 23, 2017
Really good play taking on various sides of the feminist argument of "having it all" versus "housewives have the toughest job". The good, bad and ugly of being a woman in the 21st century. Reminded me of Wendy Wasserstein's best work.
Profile Image for Kathy.
282 reviews26 followers
November 17, 2017
Attended this play and enjoyed it. There were some flaws yet it still makes for a thought-provoking take on modern society and the choices we make in life.
Profile Image for M.
25 reviews1 follower
December 7, 2022
Really interesting. Love the debate aspect!
Profile Image for Melissa Brannen.
12 reviews3 followers
July 3, 2024
This witty script perfectly represented the internal struggle many women have between being a good feminist and what they want in the reality of their own lives. Born in 1970, I was in a generation of women who were told by society that they could do "anything” but were still expected to be perfect moms and homemakers by their mothers. Because I, myself, was always pulled in two different directions (career and family), I could relate to both Gwen and Catherine's struggles to figure out who they are and who they want to be moving forward.

Avery is the young adult female character who makes Gwen and Catherine really question their own beliefs and choices. She definitely reminded me of my own daughters. Her ideology is one that I think I have always accepted aloud, but in truth, makes me uncomfortable coming from my own children. My favorite part of Avery, however, is her ability to see right through everyone’s bullshit and then have the nerve to call them on it. I have always seen this generation’s bold judgement of older generations as disrespectful. However, seeing it in this context, upon self-reflection, perhaps I am too harsh on them as well. They have some good points, but so do we.

Then there is "The Mom" Alice who was an amalgamation of every maternal figure I had in my life. She has a perfect picture in her head of what she wants from her daughter with set values and expectations. However, like most people, her morals are bendable, and she is willing to repaint her perfect picture according to changes in circumstances and use alcohol to avoid (or at least postpone) the hard issues.

Finally, there is "Don", the piker who pretends to have regret over his lack of success, but in reality, is perfectly content to skate through life doing the minimum. The fun for me was watching the reactions of Gwen and Catherine to the revelations about Don and what each is willing to accept (or not accept). I think we all know a "Don" in our lives who may not be go-getter, but is someone who can be charming and generally fun to be around. I loved his character, but definitely wouldn't want to be married to him.

Since I was compelled to write a review of this play, I’d say that it does exactly what it is supposed to do. It made me think while being completely entertained. As much as I enjoyed the script, seeing it on stage just blew me away and turned a 4 star review into a 5-star review. Seeing this play staged just makes you realize even more how searingly insightful and wickedly funny the dialogue is written. If you have a chance to see this show, I hope you get to see a production that is done as well as the one I had the pleasure to see.

The production I saw for Kudos:
Rapture, Blister, Burn
by Gina Gionfriddo
June 21 & 22, 2024 at 7:30pm

The Boal Barn Playhouse, Boalsburg, PA
After grad school, Catherine and Gwen chose polar opposite paths. Catherine built a career as a rockstar academic, while Gwen built a home with her husband and children. Decades later, unfulfilled in polar opposite ways, each woman covets the other’s life, commencing a dangerous game of musical chairs—the prize being Gwen’s husband. With searing insight and trademark wit, this comedy is an unflinching look at gender politics in the wake of 20th-century feminist ideals.

Playwrights Horizons, Inc., New York City, commissioned and produced the world premiere of RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN Off-Broadway in 2012.
RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN was commissioned by Playwrights Horizons with funds provided by The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Commissioning Program.

Cast
Catherine Croll..............BETHANIE LOUISE
Gwen Harper.................STEFANIE AUSTIN
Don Harper....................MICHAEL WALDHIER
Avery Willard.................MARY ROSE VALENTINE*
Alice Croll......................KRISTINE ALLEN
*Sock & Buskin debut
Crew
Director………………............................................KRISTI BRANSTETTER
Producer………………….......................................STEFANIE AUSTIN
Stage Manager……….......................................KARI WILLIAMSON
Asst. Stage Manager………..............................ALI GALLO*
Lighting/Sound Designer...............................KAITLYN HUFF*
Technical Director; Costume & Props…........JACE BEAUTON
Intimacy Coordinator…………..…………………………MAL MACKENZIE*
House Manager..............................................AMY SHRECKENGAST
Graphic Designer.............................................CAITLIN MELESKI
*First production role with Sock & Buskin
Profile Image for Gabriella.
74 reviews28 followers
April 19, 2023
This play felt like it intended to be a feminist piece exploring the options society has granted women in life, how a woman can never seem to have it all. But it never quite landed.

I think this was mainly due to feeling absolutely no connection or sympathy for any of the characters. Perhaps a little for Avery early on as she adamantly challenged the status quo, but of course she converted later on. Such extreme case studies were used for each character, and with not enough breathing space, that it just didn't feel realistic on the page (although perhaps on stage it might be a different story - I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt).

The story felt like it followed a template I've seen so many times before, you knew every possible route this could take from the get go. The one defining aspect in this instance was to have the themes of the play openly discussed by the characters in a seminar/debate style. It was a clever idea, but just didn't quite land for me as it felt too heavy handed for delivering the points.

It wasn't a bad play, I zoomed through reading it, it just didn't excite me in any way.
Profile Image for Caroline May.
17 reviews2 followers
September 30, 2025
accidentally followed the theme of messy homie hopping by reading this directly after closer by patrick marber........

i really was behind the synopsis of like, you made a choice how to live your life, but you can't help but wonder what might have been if you chose differently - but it genuinely pissed me off how charlotte and gwen's entire lives start to revolve around a man?? a man who sucks??? and they're BEGGING TO BE WITH HIM???

near the beginning i was like wow avery is the only character i'm rocking with but by the end she's with them in the whole you have to manipulate men to get them to be in a relationship with you bullshit train and i'm reading them debate different feminist ideals and i really thought it was going to go somewhere good but everything falls flat when it's just like wahhh i'm sad about don i guess i have to go back to my unfulfilling life as a famous author with lots of money boohoo

INCREDIBLE title so it hurts me that the text isn't worthy of it
Profile Image for Christopher.
304 reviews29 followers
July 14, 2017
A surprisingly complex study of feminism, doubt, and relationships in our modern age without any easy answers, mainly because Gionfriddo smartly focuses on characters rather than generalizations. The characters, like us, try to use their personal experiences and theory to make summations about the world and the play makes a good point at letting this not come across as certain truth.
Profile Image for Andi Gunther.
11 reviews
May 1, 2025
I thought the play was vivid, well written, and the dialogue assisted in character development through the heavy assertion of opinion each character has and continually expresses. Also, a play where you can learn about feminism! F*ck Phyllis Schlafly omg
Profile Image for Kat.
207 reviews22 followers
December 24, 2017
wow wow wow wow wow wow

i feel like i learned so much more from this play than from reading theory on syllabi
Profile Image for Anne.
Author 8 books23 followers
January 28, 2018
I really liked this... i hate that the plot surrounds "fighting" over the affections for a man, it was done in a really reflective way with a feminist ending that I really loved.
Profile Image for Jennifer Dawn.
Author 0 books3 followers
November 26, 2018
Vivacious, smart, witty and funny play that challenges the roles women play with their deepest desires. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Katherine Stein.
24 reviews
February 14, 2020
A lot of sitting and talking and philosophy from the characters, but this is a good play. I'd like to see it someday.
248 reviews3 followers
May 7, 2021
Feminism rendered riveting. I saw it at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.
10 reviews
July 27, 2024
admittedly I hated a lot of people in this play. interesting discussions though!
Profile Image for marie .
31 reviews2 followers
May 25, 2025
The only good thing about this was the son who saw wicked 30 times and is fighting gay allegations (king)
Profile Image for ernesto lange.
108 reviews4 followers
November 3, 2024
people sitting, yapping, and being assholes to each other for two hours: the play
Profile Image for Lisa.
881 reviews10 followers
June 14, 2023
"So is the message that women are f*cked either way? You either have a career and wind up lonely and sad, or you have a family and wind up lonely and sad?" (p. 36)

Catherine is an accomplished academic. Gwen is a married housewife with two children. Friends during their university days, they haven't talked in over a decade...something about Gwen stealing and marrying Catherine's boyfriend? These two women with opposite lives meet again when Catherine moves home to care for her aging mother. It's clear that both regret their chosen life path, and both want what each other have. The play takes us through what happens when both women cross over to the other side where the grass is greener - or is it? Mix in the unmotivated husband/ex-boyfriend and a firecracker of a babysitter, and you've got an honest take on gender roles and feminist ideals.

I haven't read a play since I was forced to analyze Death of a Salesman and The Glass Menagerie in high school. Regardless of my historical distaste for the genre, I thoroughly enjoyed this play, and devoured it in one sitting while on a plane from Edmonton to Winnipeg. Like Catherine, I constantly wonder if I've missed out on the best things in life by not getting married and having babies. I feel guilty, selfish, jealous, and a waste of a woman most times when I'm with mothers, who I have place on the pedestal of societal acceptance. I suppose the solution to all my problems is finding a husband who will take care of me and settling down with a kid or two (or at least that's what my mother's solution is).

This play proved to me I'm not wrong for feeling that way, but also that it's not right to assume mothers have it better than professional spinsters. Gionfriddo deftly paints a picture of both sides of the fence - using only dialogue and minimal stage directions. She has her characters essentially swap lives, and in the end we realize you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need. Mixed in there is a bunch of feminist theory, and though I'm not much of a feminist, nor do I know or necessarily care about theory, all concepts and ideas are completely accessible. Everything just made sense. Yeah it's a cliche, but this play spoke to me.

I would recommend this book to every women who has even wondered what if. Hopefully, like in Gionfriddo's play, your life works out how you need it to.

Profile Image for Charlie.
1,039 reviews4 followers
June 19, 2015
Considering this play as something I'll be auditioning for this next year.

Definitely don't really understand the title, unless it's only as shallow as it appears.

Maybe a couple of spoilers ahead:

It's a great read - as plays go, it's straightforward, has a lot of room for subtext, but I can easily see this play on stage. (It's a sitting & talking play.) Really liked the relationships between the main 3 characters, although the ending is a bit typical of Gionfriddo. (SPOILER: Save the marriage, marriage is always the good ending. See; Becky Shaw.) However, Alice & Avery are both "generational additions,"meaning that Gionfriddo wanted to look at feminism from both the younger & older generations. The characters don't serve too much more than that to the plot. Needless to say, they are funny & well written, and I enjoyed the back & forth on feminism.

My one worry is that this play would get a bit old in rehearsal. There doesn't seem to be much more going on for these characters than what is written, and that makes me nervous. But subtext can be created, I guess?

Love that the majority of characters are women, don't love that they all revolve around the man. I'm not sure this play passes the Bechdel test, although I wasn't reading for that. CONSTANTLY talking about men, which I guess is inevitable in a conversation about feminism.
Profile Image for Gordon.
434 reviews
July 20, 2019
It took me a while to get into the characters in Gina Gionfriddo's Rapture, Blister, Burn. I found them to be pretty infuriating, what with their excessive focus on alcohol and drinking, and their denial of the impact of their drinking and their over-the-threshold alcoholism. By the end of Act One, I recognized them . . . not by virtue of their obsessive use of alcohol, but by virtue of other flaws. Although I thought that some of the dialogue and situations seemed a bit forced, I had become invested in their story and needed to stick around to the end. I laughed out loud frequently. Of the five characters, Avery and Alice, the secondary characters of the babysitter and the mother respectively, were the most fun, getting to speak their minds and be unpredictable. Catherine, Gwen, and Tom, the three main characters who had been classmates in grad school but are now some combination of husband, wife, estranged wife, girlfriend, ex-girlfriend, estranged husband are quite the eye-roll-deserving trio, but it's in them I saw brief glimpses of myself and other intimate acquaintances (who shall remain unnamed). I think the acting of these roles could smooth out the roughness that I was left with from the print version. In the end, I'd pay to see this on stage.
Profile Image for Cassie.
587 reviews5 followers
March 23, 2015
I saw this play before I read it, and I was fascinated. I think it's got a lot of good structure and dialogue. I didn't find it too wordy or academic, as some of the other viewers found it. On the contrary, I wish I could have taken a feminine theory class like the one that Catherine teaches.

Despite my love for the play, I have one criticism. It still feels like the overall theme is "women without men are unhappy; those who are happy are only because they a) don't know any better or b) are putting on a good show". Even if at the end, Catherine decides to take Avery with her to New York, it seems like a last resort. Catherine still loves and wishes she could be a wife and homemaker with Don, and her decision to continue with her career seems like she's settling, not actually moving on with her on decision. This seems like cheating on feminism, ever so slightly. I still love the play, but I can't quite embrace it as a the feminist manifesto I want it to be.
Profile Image for Cathy.
217 reviews1 follower
July 21, 2015
Back in graduate school, Catherine and Don were dating and Gwen was Catherine's roommate. Catherine took a fellowship in England, Don didn't follow her, and Gwen moved in to fill the vacuum. Fifteen years later, Catherine is a still-single scholar-celebrity, Don and Gwen are married with two kids, and all three are having midlife crises. I didn't like the first act of the play; it seemed formulaic and the intellectual discourse was pretty ponderous. But the second act surprised me and I really liked the ending. I think there may be humor and a satirical layer to this play that doesn't come across well when you read it, and I'm looking forward to seeing a production.
Profile Image for J.C..
19 reviews11 followers
September 7, 2016
"We all have personal mythologies we cherish. The people we love go along with them but understand they are never going to happen."
Profile Image for Adrienne.
252 reviews6 followers
March 9, 2015
Topically, it was very interesting, and it's definitely given me things to think about for the next week about feminism, my job, my goals, etc. That's excellent. As a play, it's a bit silly. The characters all feel two-dimensional, and the narrative arc is quick and clumsy. Very often, it feels didactic, socratic, like the characters and scene are only there to deliver the content, to ask us as readers the questions. But if that's your aim, why write a play? An essay would work just as well.
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