Psychopathia Paschalis

Full-length play by Jacob Iglitzin

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Psychopathia Paschalis is a dark comedy-of-manners which uproariously satirizes the violence, selfishness, and hypocrisy lurking beneath the façade of a “typical” upper-middle-class American family.

 

When the Wallace family gathers for Easter weekend at their Connecticut mansion, they expect little more than the customary petty gossip and grievances, alcoholic diatribes, and simmering resentments. Instead, Mrs. Wallace learns the shocking revelation that Justin – the “friend” whom her son Nick brought home for the holiday weekend – is actually Nick’s lover. This sets off a chain of outrageous events that result in the family gathering spiraling into utter chaos. The rapidly disintegrating situation is compounded by the arrival of an enigmatic detective (with a self-proclaimed flair for “forensic psychology”) whose incompetent attempts to restore order only engender further madness. In this darkly comic farce, corpses accumulate and secrets are unmasked, romantic betrayals and mistaken identities run rampant, and the Wallace family’s veneer of civility collapses under the weight of desire and duplicity.

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Performance (excerpt): Arts On Site NYC - Apotheosis Theatre Group "Looking for a Play" Festival (March 1, 2026)