A 62-year-old woman in an insane asylum closes her eyes and becomes a 28-year-old stand-up comedian with everyone in the audience being part of her imagination. Inspired by personal experience, Christopher Nolan films, Netflix’s Russian Doll and HBO’s Hacks, Before The Drugs Kick In is an intimate blend of stand-up, theatre and time travel starring NYC comedian and actress Maria DeCotis* (Broadway, Vogue, Rolling Stone) as comedian Lynn T. Walsh.

Before The Drugs Kick In made its world premiere at the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe to multiple five and four star reviews while being nominated for two of the festival’s biggest awards, the BBC Writersroom Popcorn Award for Best New Writing and the Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award.

Presented by TLAB SHARES, this will be the show’s third New York City extension following 10 performances at UNDER St. Marks and 15 performances at the Court Square Theater. The play is dedicated to anyone, especially young mothers of the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, who society wrote off as crazy instead of giving them an opportunity to live. It is written, directed and produced by comedian and playwright Mike Lemme with movement direction by Mandy Gordon.

*Appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association

Content Warning: Before The Drugs Kick In contains distressing themes with strong language and mentions of suicide but it’s also full of punchlines too.

Run time: 70 minutes, no intermission