Deborah Unger Returns to the Stage with Her Acclaimed Solo Play at United Solo THE LONGER MY MOTHER IS DEAD, THE MORE I LIKE HER

New York, NY — October 14, 2025: After a celebrated Off-Broadway run as part of Maiden Mother Crone at The Flea, actor and writer Deborah Unger brings her moving and wickedly funny solo play, THE LONGER MY MOTHER IS DEAD, THE MORE I LIKE HER, to United Solo, the world’s largest solo theatre festival.

Directed by Dominick La Ruffa Jr., Unger’s deeply personal and universally relatable piece invites audiences to laugh, cry, and reflect on the complex ties that bind mothers and daughters. What begins as a lifetime of conflict evolves into an unexpected act of compassion and self-forgiveness.

In this deeply personal and universally relatable piece, Deborah Unger invites audiences into the lifelong battle and posthumous reconciliation with her mother. Blending humor and heartbreak, Unger’s journey explores the unspoken dynamics of mother-daughter relationships. As Mom gets to speak her peace as well — albeit from the grave — the play transforms into a moving meditation on love, understanding, and letting go.

A story of love, loss, and liberation, THE LONGER MY MOTHER IS DEAD, THE MORE I LIKE HER reminds us that sometimes, healing begins in hindsight—and laughter can be the most radical act of forgiveness. 

"Being in constant conflict with Mom is bad enough. But what if that hectoring voice also lives in your head?" Unger asks.

In The Longer My Mother is Dead, the More I Like Her, she embodies both herself and her late mother, using sharp wit and poignant storytelling to uncover the love hidden beneath generations of misunderstanding.

Following rave responses at Maiden Mother Crone—praised by critics for its humor, humanity, and emotional resonance—Unger now brings the solo piece to new audiences in a festival celebrating the art of personal storytelling.

Critical Praise for Deborah Unger and The Longer My Mother is Dead, the More I Like Her

“A tender and joyful evening full of discovery and celebration.” ​ — The Front Row Center

“Unger delivers a tear-jerking performance, winning everyone over with her seamless charisma.” ​ — Beauty News NYC

“Richly gives both sides of the story… it was so expressively shared, one might feel like they were at the family’s kitchen table chatting with the pair of them.” — Theatre Beyond Broadway

“A moving, layered performance that captures the way grief can evolve over time, revealing new layers of both pain and understanding.” — TV and City

“Both performers illustrate the business of life—its highs and lows, its constant changes and adjustments. The restrictions of family, the weight of family, and the joy of finding ourselves.” — The Front Row Center

Deborah Unger is a veteran stage and screen performer. Film: Birdman, Eighth Grade, Motherless Brooklyn; TV: Orange Is the New Black, Gotham, FBI: Most Wanted. Her decades in storytelling culminate in this solo piece—a work 15 years in the making, part creative work and part emotional reconciliation.

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