EULOGY Playwright to Bring His Own Funeral Show to Seattle Rep
Brendan Healy's solo show follows a sold-out debut and will later play Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland.
Following a sold-out, critically acclaimed four-week premiere in 2025, Brendan Healy's autobiographical solo play Eulogy, or How to Plan Your Own Funeral (and Have Fun Doing It!) is set for two major regional theatre engagements, with productions at Seattle Repertory Theatre this fall and Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland next spring.
Written and performed by Brendan Healy and produced by Pony World Theatre, Eulogy, or How to Plan Your Own Funeral (and Have Fun Doing It!) will run at Seattle Repertory Theatre from September 24 through October 11, 2026, before traveling to Artists Repertory Theatre, where it will close the company's 2026-27 season with performances from April 13 through May 9, 2027.
Born with cystic fibrosis, Healy was repeatedly told throughout his life that he would not live to reach adulthood. At age two, doctors expected he would survive only until 16. By the time he entered college, that estimate had shifted to 24. As a struggling playwright in Chicago in his mid-twenties, he was told he would be fortunate to reach 30. Now in his forties, Healy transforms those experiences into an intimate, humorous, and deeply moving theatrical event that explores mortality through the lens of his own life.
Presented as the audience's invitation to his own memorial service, Eulogy follows Healy as he reflects on growing up with a terminal illness, navigating the American healthcare system, finding love, and imagining the funeral he hopes one day to have. Along the way, he also offers practical and often hilarious advice about planning a memorial, encouraging audiences to confront mortality with openness, compassion, and even joy.
The production balances comedy with emotional honesty, inviting audiences to laugh while engaging with universal questions about life, legacy, and the relationships that define us. Rather than asking for flowers, the play encourages audiences to honor life by singing a favorite song, baking a loved one's favorite cake, or gathering family and friends together.
"I want to share this story with as many people while I still can," said Healy, who is currently in discussions with additional theatres about future productions of the play.
The expanded engagements mark a significant milestone for the production, which has grown from a sold-out black box presentation into performances at larger regional theatres. Seattle Rep and Artists Repertory Theatre will introduce the work to new audiences while continuing its exploration of grief, resilience, and the unexpected humor that can accompany even life's most difficult conversations.
At its heart, Eulogy, or How to Plan Your Own Funeral (and Have Fun Doing It!) is less about death than about how we choose to live. Through candid storytelling, vulnerability, and wit, Healy offers a deeply personal reminder to celebrate the people we love while we still have the chance.
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