How To Make Friends and Then Kill Them

by Halley Feiffer

Left to their own devices by their alcoholic mother, Ada and Sam cultivate an insular world into which they soon draw a third wheel – a pockmarked, limping wallflower named Dorrie. In the years spanning childhood to young adulthood, these three troubled girls learn to lean on each other completely, finding ways to fill each other up and to tear each other down. But when a horrible accident turns their reality upside down, they find they must decide whether they will continue to foster their familiar, codependent cycle, or whether they will break free, with or without each other’s aid.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Theatre

141 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2015

Reviews

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Insane like saltburn

[Lizzy Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woaaaah. This play was wild, toxic, and SO interesting. Definitely not for everyone, but I would love to be in this play.

[Fallon Knaak · Rating 2 out of 5]

women be toxic i guess

[Grace Goble · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really expected to love this but I didn’t I think! There are other shows that do the same thing this one does but better? Idk I can’t really decide how I feel

[Doug · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's no doubt that Feiffer can write convincing characters and dialogue - but this play is so nasty and brutish and unrelentingly miserable that I can't fathom anyone wanting to either produce or watch it. It is also allegedly supposed to be a comedy .... sheesh!

[Kylie · Rating 2 out of 5]

What drew me in initially was the characters' names. I love the name Ada because of Resident Evil. Then the name Sam felt like it suited the name Ada, and since they were sisters that made them a nice pair. Dorrie is an okay name, but I feel like once again, suits the other two characters' names. As for the actual play though, it was just strange. I can't accurately rate it either. I didn't finish it all in one sitting and throughout the day I found myself thinking about it. I was intrigued to understand the characters. Curious to see where the story would go with these very out of touch and odd girls. When I reached the end, I was kind of just like,"okayyyy.......?" My intrigue for the character's stayed and I was left confused since nothing was really explained. They were all insufferable and unlikeable, even more so when we reach the end.

In some scenes, there are parallels or repetitiveness which felt like a sign of their growing insanity. These scenes were a reflection of the three girls' minds. As they're children, they're harmless but still deeply bizarre. When they're older, they have the ability to take action on their thoughts. This can be seen as a reflection of adulthood and the freedom it brings. While they had similar freedom as children because of their mom's absence, the play shows this freedom in a way that's more relatable to the average reader once they reach adulthood. By the end, we see their peak insanity where they kill Dorrie and commit incestuous acts.

The incestuous acts are disturbing but they also reveal how obsessed Sam is with Ada. The fact that they are sisters adds another layer since they come from the same womb and share DNA, it makes their connection feel as if their sense of self is merging. For example, when they kiss, it's almost as if they're kissing themselves. They remind me of the movie "The Substance" where the characters fuse together. Since Ada and Sam originated from the same place, they naturally want to be that close.

Overall, this play conveys a very extreme case of how influential the people you surround yourself with can be. I don't think I can recommend this to anyone, unless you're a very specific type of person but it was definitely an interesting read.

[Michael Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will always rate low when incest becomes a focus of a play. Just to forewarn a future reader. Ada and Sam are sisters with a neglectful alcoholic mom. Dorrie is the first friend that Ada makes outside her sister. Ada is beautiful and dreams of being an actress but it’s alcohol that holds her back. Sam is an artist and dreams of becoming a graphic novelist but it’s her obsession with her sister that holds her back. Dorrie is smart but is held back by her need to have Ada and Sam in her life. Ada pushes Sam down the cellar, paralyzing her. She runs off to New York to try to start her acting career. Dorrie stays with Sam where they begin the same toxic relationship Ada and Sam have. Ada comes back recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction and becomes jealous of Dorrie. Ada demands Sam send her away, you can have her or me, is the ultimatum. Sam kills Dorrie in the kitchen, hands around the neck, and ends the play drawing Ada. Mostly gross.

[Addison McCall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This was a ride. Halley Pfeiffer the woman you are. A beautiful and unflinching depiction of the complications of family, growing up, growing apart, and how we are affected by who we surround ourselves with. You won't ever know what's coming, much like life itself. This play will make you feel ALL the things, and will probably leave you staring at a wall for ten minutes afterward. It takes full advantage of the medium in which it is meant to be experienced, and its characters are so beautifully human that it's hard not to be affected by this one. Not an easy read, and definitely not for everyone, but an extremely well-executed and emotional play with a poignant theme that I would recommend for those who like to be hit by the meaning of the stories they read.

[Shannon Geier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um...wow!! Holy crap!!

Need to like.the characters you're reading about? Need to get the warm fuzzies from a plot or a story? I would seriously avoid this play. On the other hand, it is super brutal and raw in a way that feels very real. Hurt people hurt people who also hurt people. It's a huge cycle that often never stops or gets resolved. And this work shows that expertly. No one is spared, no one is redeemed, just like in life.

[Olivia Landsverk · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a wild ride. A unique exploration into sisterhood and friendship, however, all of these relationships were severely toxic. None of that was healthy. This play was extremely unhinged, but there were also a lot of moments of heart within all the crazy. This play demonstrated how hard it can be to break the cycles that we are born into, and sometimes you cannot help people who aren’t willing to be helped, no matter how desperately you may want it. Worth the read.

[Brooklyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you make me as a friend, please kill me instead of taking me to see this play
This play was written for its shock value, but I was totally disturbed & completely unshocked. Feeling blessed I paid just for the playscript and like 50 minutes of my life and not an expensive ticket or entire evening to see an actual production of the play (with all the love in my heart)
One scene could be used for character work in high school. Everything else I can do without.

[Ella Marroquin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read, and a plot twist I should have seen coming, but still took me by surprise (multiple of these, and that’s in great writing!!). This tale is not for all, the writing style is a bit off from what I typically go for, but I still very much enjoyed it! Riveting! I am excited to see how this may be explored on stage!

[Jesse]

This is a really weird fucking play. I really wanna go through and analyze all the shit that happens in it but it’s hard to wanna reread a story when you absolutely despise one of the three characters in it. I really wanna see a production of this play bc I have questions. Would recommend, though.

[Pat Moran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this play, but it's definitely not for everyone.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

As another reviewer put it so well: "...this play is so nasty and brutish and unrelentingly miserable that I can't fathom anyone wanting to either produce or watch it. "

[merve · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 2.5

[Hope · Rating 2 out of 5]

was hoping for more escalation, very dated dialogue and repetitive to no avail.

[K M · Rating 4 out of 5]

supes fucked up <3

[Meg Brewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

incredibly fucked up but like...I couldn't put it down? deeply wishing I could know more about the characters' backstories but I think the lack of info is part of what makes it so effective.

[Jehy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why would anyone write this?
It’s weird and un-produceable.

[Grace K · Rating 3 out of 5]

that was one of the most messed up things i’ve ever read 😆😆

[Sissy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it pointless. Pointless and mean for no reason. I gave it two stars because it’s not poorly written, it’s just pointless.

[Jackie Arena]

no rating bc wtf

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ouch, this hurt every part of my all-girls-school-upbringing heart

[Emily Heaps]

Hey… wtf

[Lydia Newman]

Effed up play LOLLL

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

whoa.

[Abby Wentworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

what the helly

[Sam Hacker · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was an insane read

[Katy Shafer · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS PLAY IS INSANE OH MY GOD AND SO UNHINGED 4/5 stars