The Lyons at Boston Center for the Arts

Family patriarch Ben Lyons is in the hospital, dying from cancer. As his time grows short, his wife and two adult children gather at his bedside for an atypical goodbye in The Lyons, a "smart and funny and moving" (New York Observer) drama that The Hollywood Reporter hailed as "black comedy perfection" during its 2012 run. Ben, freed from social conventions thanks to his condition, will say anything he wishes -- salty language included. Rita, his partner in a 40-year-long loveless marriage, finds her mind drifting toward thoughts of the future. The couple's alcoholic daughter and gay son have their own issues and agendas. Written by Nicky Silver (Beautiful Child), The Lyons is now playing at the Boston Center for the Arts - Plaza Black Box Theatre.