THE MAYFLOWER INHERITANCE
The only thing more toxic than the Mayflowers is the truth.
A SAVAGE FAMILY SATIRE ABOUT INHERITANCE, IDENTITY, AND THE TRUTHS NICE PEOPLE BURY.
about the mayflower inheritance
It’s Thanksgiving at the Mayflower home—a crumbling Colonial in Connecticut where the wine is strong, the family ties are weak, and the tension could carve the turkey itself. As the meal unfolds, protest puppets take the floor, cranberry sauce gets political, and the music box on the mantle just might be hiding something.
When does the pursuit of justice become its own form of injustice?
Ari, the youngest Mayflower, shows up unannounced—quiet, distant, and not quite himself. As three generations clash over identity, ideology, and inherited silence, it becomes clear: something terrible has happened. And it’s following him home.
When political tensions boil over and a long-standing secret is revealed, the Mayflowers must confront not only the world outside—but the buried histories they’ve unknowingly inherited. Sharp, satirical, and emotionally unflinching, The Mayflower Inheritance is a dark comedy about privilege, performance, and what it costs to be seen—even by your own family.
FOR ARTISTIC DIRECTORS
Genre: Dark comedy, family drama
Cast: 7 actors (4 women, 3 men)
Setting: Single living room/dining room set
Run time: Approx. 75 minutes
Themes: Family, identity, intergenerational trauma, political silence, performative allyship
Music: Optional live/ambient motif
Watch the trailer.
about the playwright
Based in Southern California, Melissa Jordan Grey is a rule-breaking playwright and co-founder of The WhatNext? Collective, a creative force dedicated to elevating the diverse voices of women through bold storytelling.
Everything in this play happened. Just not to the same family.
Her full-length play Cringe premiered in the 2025 Trinity Theatre Company New Works Festival, building on her earlier successes which include Trial and Error (2021) and A Walk in the Park (2022).Her monologues and short stories appear in Shaking the Tree Volumes 5, 6, and 7, showing her range across form and genre.
Drawing from a background in music composition, stand-up comedy, and long-form improv, Grey writes with crisp rhythm, high emotional stakes, and an instinct for theatrical surprise. She serves on the boards of the San Diego Performing Arts League and the IRTS Foundation, and is an active member of the Dramatists Guild, the International Centre for Women Playwrights, and Honor Roll. Her recent works include Sugar Coded, Thirty-five Candles, The Mayflower Inheritance, and Shadows and Echoes, pieces that continue her search for the humor, tension, and vulnerability inside complicated lives.
Let’s work together.
I’d love to talk with you about bringing the Mayflowers to your stage.
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