About the Show

A uniquely funny, touching, and surprising memoir for the stage.

Douglas McGrath tells the story of his life as a 14-year-old growing up in Midland, Texas – a town most famous for the disappearance, and the resurgence of “Baby Jessica.”

McGrath remembers the courtship of his one-eyed father and his mother, who worked at Harper’s Bazaar and became friends with Andy Warhol; and the story of an eighth-grade teacher who would change his life in the most unexpected way.

Critic Reviews (8)

"You might be appalled but laughing, eager to hear what happened next while also dreading it"
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" 'Everything's Fine' shows how the deep need for human connection, when unmet, expresses itself in troubling ways."
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Douglas McGrath's solo show is in the tradition, stretching back at least to James Thurber, of warm, homey memoirs about growing up in a heartland America marked by eccentricity and mild grotesqueries. The operating words here are "homey" and "mild." Despite certain charms, Everything's Fine may a little too amiable for its own good and too diffuse to have much impact…. Everything's Fine ends up feeling like a rambling collection of anecdotes, characterized by a light-minded treatment that sometimes feel false.
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"It sounds like a blurb for a holiday-themed Hallmark movie, but it’s more than a little misleading."
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"Even if you don’t detect the irony in the title 'Everything’s Fine,' you likely won’t be prepared for the horror show that unfolds in Douglas McGrath’s deceptively folksy, charming one-man play."
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Actor/writer/director Douglas McGrath is a charming storyteller and his one-man show "Everything’s Fine" is a total delight. He tells the entertaining and poignant story of his eventful 14th year when he was in ninth grade but also describes life in his family of five growing up in Midland, Texas. His tale of darkest adolescence is also nostalgic and reminiscent of the problems of life as a teen. The title turns out to be ironic as it was an expression his father used before announcing there was a new problem.
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Douglas McGrath successfully holds forth onstage for 90 minutes with physical and vocal ease, enabling him to enact his unsettling tale in a compelling manner.
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"The size of the theater and the fact that McGrath often breaks the 'fourth wall,' talking directly to his audience, give this 90-minute, intermissionless work an intimacy and a charm that makes it appear more like a friendly, shared recollection than hard drama."
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Cast and creative team