Rarely-Seen ‘Grease’ Star Making Playwriting Debut originally appeared on Parade.
Dinah Manoff, best known as the iconic Marty Maraschino in the film Grease and for starring on the sitcom Empty Nest, has turned to writing as of late and is making her playwriting debut this August, she announced on Instagram.
“Bainbridge and Seattle folks, I’m so excited to share a play-in-progess I’ve been writing for the past two years: The Messenger, a timely play about our tumultuous political times,” reads the Instagram post.
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A poster for The Messenger is the accompanying Instagram photo, and it reveals that the show stars Lost alum Elizabeth Mitchell as Thea, actress Catherine Rush as Bunny and actress Ruby Ricisak as Amanda, with Judd Farris as the voice of Lester Roman. The play is directed by Rachel Noll James, who wrote and starred in the 2024 film Inheritance.
On the Bainbridge Performing Arts Center’s website, The Messenger is described as, “When Thea, a terminally ill and politically liberal widow, is assigned Bunny as her new caretaker, a woman who exudes a surprising warmth along with her extremely conservative opinions, the two are forced to find their way to common ground and a shared humanity. Their clashing views fuel exchanges that are as uncomfortable as they are illuminating.
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“A deeply moving and unapologetic piece of theatre, The Messenger is as much a political powder keg as it is an intimate portrait of two women trying to make sense of the world from two different ends of the conversational divide. Equally timely and empathetic, the play challenges audiences to consider whether real dialogue and shared understanding can bring us together.”
Preview night is August 14, then the show runs August 15-17. Following the Sunday, August 17 performance, the audience is invited to stay (or return from a previous night) for a Q&A with Manoff, the cast and the director. Tickets are on sale now.
Manoff is no stranger to the stage. She won a Tony Award in 1980 for her Broadway debut in Neil Simon’s play I Ought to Be in Pictures, reprising the role for the film version. She also starred in the Broadway musical Leader of the Pack in 1985.
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Rarely-Seen ‘Grease’ Star Making Playwriting Debut first appeared on Parade on Aug 8, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
