Overview
When that baby's born ...your life ceases being your life. That child
owns every single one of your actions. Every breath of your body. Every
dream that you ever had, Mrs. Top Two Percent, those dreams are sucked
out of you and poured into the soul of that child. It's hard to pull
yourself up by your bootstraps in this economy-Sue should know. It's
harder when you've got kids, even whip-smart, talented ones like Judy.
Sue has big dreams for both her basement beauty shop and her daughter,
who's anxiously waiting for a letter from Berkeley that could change her
life. Armed with tough love, combative humor and an uncompromising work
ethic, Sue is struggling to balance her own livelihood and Judy's
future. A heartfelt play about the true cost of dreams. American Beauty
Shop received its world premiere at Chicago Dramatists in April 2016,
having received readings at Steppenwolf, Florida Studio Theatre, Steep
Theatre, Illinois Shakespeare Festival and Chicago Dramatists.