NEW: MLM is for Murder is now available for licensing through Dramatic Publishing!

Synopsis
Side hustles. It seems like everybody has at least one these days. For Minerva Ross, the way to escape the doldrums of her graphic design job in Washington, DC, is to write and narrate her own feminist true crime podcast about how and why women commit murder. Meanwhile, across the country, Felicity Evanston, a stay-at-home wife and mother—and Minerva’s high school nemesis—has just started selling ridiculously patterned leggings for the multi-level marketing company Linen & Fate, as much as a way of having something that’s just hers as to supplement her husband’s income. The two haven't crossed paths in years, but when the bubbly and unassuming Felicity snaps and realizes the only way to get ahead in a rigged pyramid scheme is to literally start killing off the competition, both women suddenly experience the kind of overnight success they’ve been so desperately craving—but risk losing their families, freedom, and very souls in the process.

MLM is for Murder (Or, Your Side Hustle is Killing Us) is an of-the-moment dark comedy about capitalism, feminism, work-life balance, and pop culture told using parody podcasts, emoji-strewn dialog, Facebook Live videos, and polyester-spandex murder weapons. It begs the question: How much are you willing to give up to get everything you’ve ever wanted?

Reviews and Recommendations
"John Bavoso’s dialogue is funny and full of classic lines that anyone who has received that “hey girl!!!” message from an MLM-entwined acquaintance will recognise all too well... MLM is for Murder is a charmingly funny look at the crazes that drive us crazy, and how far we’ll go to make them work." ~Theatre Travels

”While the play overall is as Bavoso described, a campy dark comedy, the dialogue is real life... I applaud the actors, director, stage manager, technical teams, dramaturge and playwright on an incredibly well presented and timely play.” —Saginaw Art Museum

"It's always nice to see a new modern script tread the boards that has relatability to our day-to-day lives. The throughlines around the prevalence of multi-level marketing schemes and everyone seeming to have their own podcast make the characters relatable, and thus some of the things that happen to them all the more revealing... If you’re looking for a show with relatable characters and conversations you’ve likely had before, this is one to head out to see." ~Theatre Reviews Perth

“This play is a wonderful distillation of the zeitgeist. MLMs, true crime podcasting, and the distant but connected world we all live in now. Fun and funny on the page, it's also very well suited to the stage.” — Jordan Noble

“A strikingly original, poignant, and morbidly hilarious story told through an infectiously charming cast of characters (each of whom is an absolute GOLDMINE for any actors lucky enough to portray them), MLM is for Murder provides an entirely new perspective on "women in the workplace" that is as madcap and absurd as it is gut-wrenchingly real and necessary. This is easily one of the best plays I've read in a long while, and is an absolute must-experience for all fans of comedy and enemies of capitalism alike.” — Nick Grosso

“I love a good dark comedy—almost as much as I dislike predatory business models. MLM IS FOR MURDER is at once subtly witty and over-the-top insane, full of great roles for women, and ultimately a very intelligent look at what, exactly, drives us to making red-flag-level bad decisions--business, moral, or otherwise. I’m eagerly awaiting the chance to see this performed! Bravo!” — Liz Dooley

Cast Breakdown
4W, 1M

Running Time
~2 hours

Production History
• Garrick Theatre, Guildford, Australia, September 2023 (Production)

• Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, June/July 2023 (Production)

• Pumphouse Players, Cartersville, GA, May 2023 (Production)

• Shafer Alliance Laboratory Theater (SALT), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, November 2022 (Production)

• Out of the Box, Oklahoma City University School of Theatre, Oklahoma City, OK, March 2022 (Production)

• Midland Center for the Arts/Center Stage Theatre, Midland, MI, February 2022 (Production)

Development History
• The Parsnip Ship, New York, NY, June 2023 (Reading/Podcast Recording)

• 21st Century Voices: New Play Festival, American Stage, St. Petersburg, FL, February 2020 (Reading)

• 5th Wall Productions, Charleston, SC, December 2019 (Workshop)

• NextStop Theatre Company, Herndon, VA, July 2019 (Reading)

Awards/Recognition
• Winner, NewPlayFest 2022, American Association of Community Theatre

• Finalist, Playwrights’ Week 2019, The Lark, NYC (top 25 out of 1,320 submissions)

Read the latest draft of the script on the New Play Exchange.

Listen to a themed playlist on Spotify.

Photo credit: Ashley Pott (Felicity in the Center Stage Theatre/Midland Center for the Arts production)