Grace Kelly Longing For Grace
Suspended between life and death, film legend turned real-life princess Grace Kelly weaves the story of her life into a cautionary tale for her daughter and makes a telling statement about the cost of abandoning one's dreams. Austin Pendleton directs this poignant look at fame, folly, and a woman undone by her own strength.
Grace Kiley, award winning actress and playwright, successfully debuted her new work, Grace Kelly Longing for Grace, about film legend Grace Kelly, as part of the United Solo Theater Festival in November of 2012. Directed by Austin Pendleton, the piece won three awards including Best One-Woman Show, Best Directing, and Best Makeup, and in 2013 Best Encore.
Looking beneath the glamorous surface of Kelly’s life, Kiley portrays the humanity that generated the myth. As a guest at her own funeral, Princess Grace struggles to unravel the thread of her knotted life - not only for her own enlightenment but as a guiding parable for her teenage daughter. Kiley allows us to slip inside the character, and, in so doing, re-examine and reconcile our own dreams with life's realities.
Awards and Reviews
Longing for Grace was honored with three awards at the third annual United Solo Festival in New York City, the largest and most important event of its kind in the world, including Best One-Woman Play (Grace Kiley), Best Direction (Austin Pendleton) and Best Makeup (Elle Murphy). Future performances at 59E59 Theatres, East to Edinburgh, July 12, 23 & 14. ENCORE shows for United Solo Festival, fall 2013.
Longing for Grace, Grace Kiley’s uncanny and vivid recreation of her near namesake Grace Kelly, is an extraordinary revelation of the challenges and struggles of one of America’s best known yet most private and unrevealing actresses.
A triumph of research, creative writing and performance, Longing for Grace sets out, among many episodes, Ms. Kelly’s initial delight and eventual disappointment with her decision to leave her burgeoning acting career and become the fairytale Princess of Monaco. Grace Kiley’s interpretation of Grace Kelly’s innermost feelings throughout her career and lifetime is a stunning piece of both autobiography and theater.
It is the memoir that Grace Kelly never had the chance to write to her families, friends and fans and deserves far more exposure for both its mythic star and most beautiful and talented storyteller. - Bob Crothers, NYC and London Producer
Night Becomes Morning by Diane Davis directed by Leslie Burby. With Henry Dwyer
Grace Kiley is stunning as a woman trying to find her voice and herself, while not sacrificing her passion.