PITY PARTY Debuts at Chain Theatre's Winter One-Acts Festival

Gabriella Arianna's original one-act Pity Party premiered at the Chain Theatre last Friday, February 20th. Pity Party, alongside Chris Gacinski's Estonian Wedding, and Jaimee Lee Gaston's Don't You Worry Your Pretty Little Head, make up Program #24 of the Chain Theatre's Winter One-Acts Festival. Thoughtfully curated, all three shows center around the theme of marriage, each bringing its own absurd flair to the table.

The Chain Theatre's Winter One-Act Festival features work by experienced veterans and talented newcomers alike throughout February 2026. Celebrity highlights include performances by Ralph Macchio, Cady McClain, and Carol Kane, and shows directed by Jesse Eisenberg and José Rivera.

Pity Party opened the final week of the festival - but that did not stop their opening night from selling out! The first performance was electric, filled with iconic comedic moments, including a live wedding band getting rudely interrupted by a brooding Maid of Honor and a wedding crasher crying about being James Bond's grandson. Some of the funniest characters included the Mother of the Bride, who is desperately trying to match her unmarried daughter, and the unruly Father of the Bride, who brought his (much younger) girlfriend as a date. But all jokes aside, the story's overarching sore spot regarding marital expectations really hits home in the current romantic landscape of situationships and high divorce rates.

Under the brilliant direction of Mattie Parker, Pity Party simultaneously evokes both tender heartache and comic relief when discussing love and marriage in the modern day. The stars Jillian Bradley and Niles Wilson beautifully foil one another while debating the importance of "settling down," and Co-Stars Laurie Sammeth, John Torres, and Tessa Forster bring refreshing humor to the stage.