Cricket

Minutes before a funeral and still in her bathrobe, Elsie follows a mysterious chirping sound…

(1 female, 1 male, 1 any gender)

Production History:

Barrington Stage Company’s 10x10 Festival 2026 (Pictured: Robert Zukerman, Peggy Pharr Wilson) Photography by Roman Iwasiwka

Reviews

“‘Cricket’,written by Erin Osgood, is the story of a woman preparing for her husband’s funeral. It was the most moving, beautifully written of the catalogue. Directed by Alan Paul, Barrington’s artistic director, and performed by Peggy Pharr Wilson, Robert Zukerman and Avery Whitted, it will see you laugh, cry and feel as if you sat through a fully realized complete story in just 10 minutes.” Bill Kellert, Daily Gazette

“I'm so impressed by the elegant use of a simple sound cue to evoke the nagging ache of grief that permeates this piece. Well-constructed and full of warm humor as well as deep sympathy for the very real emotions these fully realized characters are experiencing.” Maximillion Gill

“A lovely piece of playwriting. At turns funny and heartbreaking, with a great sense of character.”

David L. Williams

“Personally and professionally, I was quite taken by “Cricket,” written by Erin Osgood. It has a lot of humor as a preoccupied woman trying to find an annoying cricket in the living room gets laughs. While searching, she is criticizing her husband’s taste as she helps him select the right tie for his suit. It soon turns into a sweet, moving statement on love.” Bob Goepfert, The Saratogian

“Cricket, by Erin Osgood and directed by Alan Paul, Artistic Director of Barrrington Stage, finds Wilson struggling to locate the cricket making an annoying chirp in her home, while interacting with her husband, played by Zuckerman. Her son, played by Whitted arrives encouraging her to get ready for a funeral for which she is giving the eulogy. She resists, and we soon learn why. The persistent chirp is yet another metaphor for what becomes difficult to let go. This piece is touching.” Paula Kaplan-Reiss, Berkshire Onstage

“Cricket is a tender, quietly powerful short play about grief and enduring love. What begins as a comic irritation—the chirp of a mysterious “cricket”—unfolds into a moving portrait of widowhood, memory, and letting go. With warmth, humor, and restraint, Osgood captures how loss lives in everyday moments and familiar voices that linger long after goodbye. I am looking forward to seeing this play on the stage!” Elizabeth Coplan