In Someone Spectacular, a fresh drama by Domenica Feraud, an unsettling event occurs when a sextet gathers for their routine grief-counseling meeting: their counselor, Beth, simply fails to appear. As ten unproductive, anxious minutes stretch to twenty and then thirty, the ensemble—composed of Nelle (Alison Cimmet), who’s mourning a sister; Jude (Delia Cunningham), who’s grieving a child; Thom (Damian Young), who’s lamenting a spouse; Julian (Shakur Tolliver), who’s missing an aunt; Lily (Ana Cruz Kayne), who’s lost a beloved mother; and Evelyn, (Gamze Ceylan) who’s resentfully parted with a mother—begins to unravel. They become frantic, draw boundaries, critique each other, and critique themselves. Yet, as more moments pass by, a shift ensues. They start to express vulnerability and defend one another, to separate and realign into a configuration that feels more constant, nearly secure. What each individual is discovering, either quietly or vociferously, is the method by which they ought to proceed without their loved one.
Feraud has typically crafted fulfilling and insightful projects from personal encounters—her writings “The 26=Year-Old Virgin” (2020), “The Movie Star and Me” (2022), along with her 2019 drama Rinse, Repeat being, until now, prime examples. Though Rinse, Repeat focused on a topic, eating disorders, personally significant to Feraud, it was at its core fictional. Someone Spectacular, however, sits much nearer to her life story, surfacing from the overwhelming shock of losing her own mother in 2022.
With four weeks remaining in the play’s off-Broadway engagement, located at The Pershing Square Signature Center on 42nd Street, Feraud converses with Vogue about her intensely joyous first night, being part of the understudy group (She’s performing this weekend!), and how immersing herself in The Real Housewives influenced the production. The dialogue has been modified and shortened for clarity.
Vogue: I’m eager to know about your opening night. Someone Spectacular is an incredibly intimate play, moving yet quite humorous. How did you commemorate it?
Doménica Feraud: It was quite overwhelming, in the most wonderful sense. My brother traveled from Austin to attend, marking his first experience of the play, which made it immensely meaningful. Many of my relatives and those closest to my mom joined, and then friends were present to share the event. Additionally, celebrating with the cast and my director, Tatiana Pandiani, meeting her partner and friends…and having Paige [Evans], co-producer and dramaturg, who’s been a guide for me extensively and now stands as a colleague—even though we’ve shared a strong bond for seven years, we finally got a photo together. Moreover, each character draws inspiration from actual people, to some measure; they represent the Inside Out emotional renditions of acquaintances I have. Thus, we experienced a memorable moment capturing images of each performer alongside their muse.