Steambath

Steambath presents a darkly comic exploration of mortality and the afterlife set in a decrepit New York City bathhouse. A man awakens in the steamy establishment with no memory of how he arrived, gradually realizing he has died and entered a purgatorial realm. The bathhouse attendant—a Puerto Rican deity figure—oversees the transition of souls passing through this liminal space. As the protagonist encounters other lost souls and confronts the absurdity of his new existence, the play examines themes of acceptance, identity, and the arbitrary nature of fate. Through sharp dialogue and surreal encounters, Friedman crafts a meditation on what lies beyond death, blending existential philosophy with irreverent humor. The work challenges conventional notions of the afterlife while maintaining an intimate focus on one man's reckoning with his own mortality.