A POT OF BASIL, OR, THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND

“A Pot of Basil, or, Thank You for Being a Friend,” a new surreal comedy by Heather Jeanne Violanti, will play at The RAT NYC on weekends from August 23–31, 2025. 

In the world premiere of Violanti’s surreal comedy, a would-be writer trying to run away from her unhappy life has her plans put on hold when New York locks down for the 2020 COVID pandemic. All she has for company are her imagination, a pot of basil, a talking cockroach, Marie Antoinette, and episodes of The Golden Girls. In this fast, funny, 60-minute comedy, the world might be ending—but that’s just the beginning of figuring out what really matters. The show is directed by Jennifer Sandella and features N. Marie Teagno, Lisa Whitten, Mary Lane Townsend, Margaret Sullivan, Travis John Martin, and Josh Karen. “A Pot of Basil, or, Thank You for Being a Friend” plays at The RAT NYC in DUMBO (68-117 Jay St, Brooklyn, NY 11201 ) on weekends from August 23-31.

Says Violanti, “Writing this play helped me work through the pain and uncertainty of the COVID pandemic. I tried to counter the seriousness of that difficult time with wacky humor, all the while exploring what it means to keep going when your world falls apart.”