LIFE SEPARATES US is set several months after the tragedy that befell America a decade ago. Three couples undergo group therapy to save their struggling marriages. Like the majority of Americans, these couples were not directly affected by the tragedy. However, the impact of the terrorist attacks becomes absurdly overwhelming as they attempt to untangle the misunderstandings of their own relationships, and Farrell’s story takes many turns both comic and poignant. The tragedy of 9/11 serves as a backdrop throughout. The play reverently captures the deep sense of anxiety felt by Americans in the wake of devastation, and observes the sense of absurdity in the couples’ reaction to it.

LIFE SEPARATES US was named one of the best new plays of 2002 by Nina Metz of the Chicago Tribune. It is directed by Bill Ryan, the Artistic Director of Oracle Film, and will run in conjunction with an art exhibition curated by Hale Ekinci, the Artistic Director of Oracle Art. The exhibition will showcase Chicago artists’ works in various media exploring cultural tensions, and the psychological and social implications of the post-9/11 period.