My Momma lived to be 108 years old,
which is close to immortal.
This play is based on a true story of
three generations of southern women
wrestling with death, dysfunction,
and a century's worth of denial.
We didn't speak our mind;
we spoke about sports and the weather.
But during my Momma's final days,
secrets surface, tempers flare, and a parade of quirky locals, nosy neighbors,
and self-appointed helpers turn her house into
a three-ring circus of caregiving and chaos.
We waited for Momma to die...
she won't let go because
her daughter is an embarrassment and
her granddaughter is a disappointment.
And they can't get along without her!
My Momma, Gigi, and her girls are funny,
they're messy, they're full of Southern grit. Somewhere under all the emotional wreckage,
these beautifully flawed Southern women
really see each other.
Family wins out.
108 year old Southern matriarch,
80 year old new playwright, and it will be directed by the acclaimed Southern storyteller Del Shores.
We know audiences will love it!
And YOU can be a part of making it happen.
Patty Pell, an established actress based in Dallas, is an 80 year old new playwright. She has written “snippets” all her life: poems, short stories, two children’s theatre programs, sales training videos, radio spots, and the finest, most talked about obituary tribute that the P-burg Sentinel ever published. Patty and her daughter, Laurie, wrote Momma Won’t Die based on the last weeks they spent with Gigi in the summer of 2021. Those days of living with three generations of Southern women became the most important time in Patty’s life. Everything else seemed a footnote. Like the characters in her favorite plays, Steel Magnolias and Crimes of the Heart, Patty hopes audiences will see the characters in Momma Won’t Die and say, “I know these people.” Patty gives special thanks to the Del Shores Writers Workshop for their suggestions and support. She brought in a revised scene every week for two years. She could not have finished this play without them. Momma Won’t Die became a true collaboration of love!
Laurie Pell Grigsby lives in Saint Simon’s island, Ga. She has a husband, two grown daughters and a bossy pup named Molly. She was a competitive cheerleading coach for 25 years and has lived all over the south the past 30 years. This wonderful play came out of two weeks where my mom and I said goodbye to my grandmother on her terms. Every family has crazy. The lesson is embrace it, accept it and be proud of where you came from.
Del Shores has built a celebrated career across studio and independent film, network and cable television, and regional and national touring theatre. He is the writer/director/producer of the films Sordid Lives, Blues for Willadean, Southern Baptist Sissies, and A Very Sordid Wedding, and wrote and executive produced the MGM feature Daddy's Dyin'...Who's Got the Will? Shores has written eleven plays produced thousands of times worldwide, with four adapted for the screen. His work is published by Samuel French/Concord Theatricals. On television, he created, wrote, directed, and executive produced the LOGO series Sordid Lives: The Series, served as writer and executive producer for the final three seasons of Showtime's Queer As Folk, and wrote and produced for Dharma & Greg and Ned & Stacey. As a director, Shores has worked with Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer; Grammy Award winner Olivia Newton-John; Emmy winners and nominees Beau Bridges, Delta Burke, Leslie Jordan, Bonnie Bedelia, Bobbie Eakes, Patrika Darbo, and Rue McClanahan; Spirit Award winner Dale Dickey; SAG Award winner Beth Grant; as well as Caroline Rhea, Debby Holiday, and David Steen. Also a performer, Shores has toured nationally with his stand-up and one-man shows, releasing four filmed DVDs, including Six Characters in Search of a Play. His honors include the GLAAD Award, NAACP Award, LA Weekly Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2023, The Chuck Rowland Pioneer Award from Celebration Theatre for groundbreaking achievements in LGBTQ+ playwriting and arts advocacy. Recent directing credits include Jiggs Burgess' The Red Suitcase (Broadwater Mainstage, 2023) and Wounded (winner, Best Production - Soho Playhouse International Fringe Encore Series, 2024; Off-Broadway limited run, 2025). His twelfth play, The Recipe Box, premiered at Terrific New Theatre in Birmingham in February 2026, starring Emerson Collins. Shores' passion project, The Del Shores Foundation, champions new Southern queer voices - connecting emerging artists to mentors, platforms, and opportunities to bring their stories to life.
Kevin Clark is honored to have the opportunity to bring this World Premiere play to audiences in DFW metroplex. Momma Won't Die is based on a true story that explores relationships and challenges that we all face. This is his first venture into serving as a producer of a theatrical play and is thrilled to have a wonderful team of talented artists who are bringing it to life. Previously, Clark has been an executive producer and actor in the international award winning TV web series, LIFE Anthologies, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime and other platforms. His day job is practicing Law in Ft. Worth at the Law Office of J Kevin Clark PC.
Clark is theatrically represented by Jill Blalock of Broad Talent in Dallas, Texas.
Enjoy the show!
Katie King is thrilled to be both producing and acting in Momma Won’t Die as the beloved caregiver, Ruby! Growing up doing theater, and after a long hiatus, she dove back into acting after becoming an empty nester. In 2019 she was lucky enough to appear in several plays at the The Core Theatre in Richardson, TX, the most notable being Driving Miss Daisy and Over the River and Through the Woods. King is beyond excited to be directed by Del Shores, since he’s been an incredible teacher and mentor to her. Besides theatre work, she spends every week honing my skills (and having a blast) at José Quinones’ The Artists Playground, where the work focuses on scene study, improv, character development and even the creation of short films. This is her first time producing a play and it’s been amazing to learn all that goes on behind the scenes. Looking forward to bringing more original works to the stage with these intrepid partners!