Set in 2009, amidst the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia,
Gracefully Ending depicts, through flashback, the tale of Beth Fuller, a divorced, former bank clerk facing homelessness.
Beth's only son, Andrew, has become emotionally distant ever since she refused to bail him out of jail, so she finds herself trying to move in with her ailing, widowed mother, Margaret, under the guise of protecting Margaret from falling down late at night. But Margaret doesn't want help, and the two begin feuding, especially after Beth learns that Margaret believes she sees her late husband, Hank, in the house.
In desperation, Beth calls on a doctor to declare her mother incompetent and even enlists Andrew for support. A fight quickly grows between the two women, much like the early season snowstorm outside, and soon both find themselves faces with the same realization: dying with dignity means dying with love.
This show is available through the
American Association of Community Theatre AACT NewPlayFest Winning Plays: Volume 2 (2016).