The Lucky Ones
by Lia Romeo
Directed by Katie Birenboim
October 24th-November 9th, 2025
at TheaterLab, 357 W 36th Street, NYC
In THE LUCKY ONES, Lia Romeo delivers a sharply observed, emotionally resonant new play about the
complexities of female friendship in a shifting world. Vanessa is confronting a devastating illness. Janie is beginning a new romance. As lifelong best friends, they’ve shared everything—until
their lives begin to pull them in different directions. With wit, honesty, and deep compassion, Romeo examines what it means to show up for each other when the stakes are highest, and how
societal expectations of women shape—and strain—even our closest bonds.
“Romeo’s writing … blend of humor and emotional sincerity, allowing audiences to laugh while simultaneously reflecting on profound themes.”
-T2C Online
Production Stage Manager: Grace Deschenes
Scenic Design: Ant Ma
Lighting Design: Jeff Croiter
Sound Design: Brandon Bull
Press Agent: Katie Rosin/Kampfire PR
Meet the Cast:
Lia Romeo (Playwright) is a fellow in the Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program at Juilliard. Her play The Forest was developed at the O’Neill Playwrights Conference, and was scheduled to receive a National New Play Network rolling world premiere this season (postponed due to the coronavirus). Her play Sitting and Talking, starring Dan Lauria and Wendie Malick, premiered at Mile Square Theatre and has subsequently been presented by Laguna Playhouse, New Jersey Rep, Seven Devils New Play Foundry, and other companies. Other plays have been produced off-Broadway at 59E59 and regionally around the country, and four of her plays have been recognized by the Kilroys List. She was the winner of City Theatre’s National Short Playwriting Award, and has been a nominee or a finalist for the Heideman Award, the L. Arnold Weissberger Award, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, the Kesselring Prize, and the Steinberg Award. Her plays are published by Broadway Play Publishing, Playscripts, Dramatists Play Service, and Smith & Kraus. She is the associate artistic director with Project Y Theatre Company, and she teaches playwriting at Primary Stages/ESPA and in the M.A. program in creative writing at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She earned her B.A. from Princeton and her M.F.A. in playwriting from Rutgers/MGSA.
Katie Birenboim (Director) is a New York City-based director and producer. She recently directed the critically acclaimed regional premiere of Mario Correa's N/A at Barrington Stage, and she directed (and produced) the much lauded world premiere of Forrest Malloy’s Nina Off-Broadway. Other theatre credits include: The Secret Garden (Berkshire Theatre Group) and Annie at Madison Square Garden, featuring Whoopi Goldberg, Gypsy (Goodspeed Opera House), Chains (Mint Theater Company), and The New Yorkers (City Center Encores!) as the Associate Director. Katie is the host of a theatre and arts podcast entitled "Call Time with Katie Birenboim," which you can find on all podcast platforms. Princeton University A.B. & New York University M.A.