A Pain in the Neck
Words by Erin J. Reifler, Music by Zonia Tsang
LENGTH & FORM
Full length musical
STORY
Josie was told she was going to die sometime in 2019. Freshly dumped by her boyfriend of 12 years with a “It’s not you, it’s me”, she finds being a single cat lady at the age of 41 in New York City and terminally ill daunting. With a friend’s (forceful) encouragement, she creates a bucket list; she steals a pen for the first time, misses a deadline, buys adult furniture, and swipes right on a one-night stand or maybe more. Complicated by her parent’s and coworkers' desire for her to act like a sick person and her own body telling her she should do so, instead of waiting to die, Josie learns what it means to truly live. Josie lived until December 3rd.