“Pretty much irresistible… The author of great, toxic fairy tales for grown-ups, Mr. Lucas here suspends the storybook whimsy to give us a more straightforward look at people battling with the ogres of contemporary life through alcohol, drugs and sex.” —Ben Brantley, New York Times

“A sensitive work that depicts the effects of addiction on one’s romantic partners...Ode to Joy provides a lot to chew on, and just as much to savor.” —David Gordon,TheaterMania

Adele is an aspiring painter with three complicated lovers: Bill, Mala and alcohol. Over the course of fifteen years, Ode to Joy follows Adele as she attempts to navigate the tumult, heartbreak and ultimate redemption of both the relationship with these lovers, and with herself. A vulnerable exploration of the interplay between art, love and addiction, Ode to Joy is an affecting new play from renowned playwright Craig Lucas.

Craig Lucas is a playwright, screenwriter and director of both theater and film. His plays include Prelude to a Kiss, The Dying Gaul, The Singing Forest, Small Tragedy, Reckless, Blue Window, Prayer for My Enemy, God’s Heart and the book for the Tony Award–winning musical The Light in the Piazza. He wrote the screenplays for Longtime Companion and The Secret Lives of Dentists.