The Only Way Out is Through lasts around 80 minutes and features two actresses: one who plays Shelley and another who plays both Dr. Dopfelganger and Laine.
Shelley is between 45 and 55. She’s a practicing attorney in a corporate position. She’s in couple’s therapy with her husband, Tom. They lead a decreasingly comfortable, unconnected life. Shelley has helped raise Tom’s two children, Amy and Brett, who are now in their early 20s. She has not been aware of her feelings or familiar with the language of feelings. She has lots of friends and leads a busy, distracted life. Shelley has been seeing therapist, Dr. Dopfelganger, for some time. Dr. D is urging her to appreciate her feelings as she comes to grips with a failing marriage and other disappointments.
Laine was Shelley’s best friend from college days. Laine, comes to visit for a long weekend but winds up staying most of a month. After their undergraduate days Laine went on to grad school in accounting. She had a daughter out-of-wedlock during her early career days with a Big Eight
accounting firm. Laine left the pressures of that life to take a State job. Later, she took a corporate position. Laine has just been laid off a few days before booking her trip although she has not spoken of this issue when the play begins.
When Lizzie—Laine’s daughter—was six, Laine married Phil; they have been divorced for about four years. She has just started dating someone who is not a big factor in her life. Lizzie is now in college.
Dr. Dopfelganger appears in the first and last scenes of the play. She is played by the actress who plays Laine. Dr. D is working with Shelley to help Shelley notice and appreciate her feelings, make a decision about her failing marriage and take charge of her own life.
The Doctor is quite over-the-top with a Dr. Ruth-sort of German accent. To fuel her active fantasy life, Dr. D collects costumes and musical scores and performs numbers for her own amusement when she’s alone in the office. In the last scene, this actress transitions several times between Laine and Dr. D and ends the scene by becoming Laine and adding showy attire for the big finish.
The script, music and lyrics were written by Miriam Feder, who retains the copyright and all other
rights in the material. Permission for production is available by arrangement with Miriam Feder.