The Giggling Granny

Returning by popular demand following a sold-out run in 2025

Nannie Doss was an American serial killer responsible for the deaths of four husbands in Alabama, North Carolina, Kansas, and Oklahoma between 1927 and 1954. She died in prison in 1965, but has been brought to life again in this solo play, whose premiere TNC presented last January. Marilyn Chris, a distinguished actress of Broadway, off-Broadway and soaps, is a winner of many awards in her varied career, including an Obie Award, a Drama Desk Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, the Variety Critics Poll, and the best supporting actress Award from The TV Magazine Writers and Editors.

The play is a true story about a mesmerizing, innocent, and likable serial killer who was looking for true love. Known as the “Giggling Granny,” she was a paradoxical mix of grandmotherly warmth and chilling malevolence. Her life has not been examined in theater to-date, giving Chris the opportunity to define the character for present and future audiences with an exploration of Doss’s villainous charm and wit.