Three years after Josie's mother died, no one expects her to telephone from a bus station in North Dakota. This comic study of love and letting go gives a look at the disparity between what you expect and what is delivered. "WHEN THE MESSENGER IS HOT is very, very hot. MESSENGER is pure magic ... Eason's richly inspired, cleverly envisioned adaptation ... This 85-minute piece careens brilliantly between comedy and heartbreak ... The impact of this play is as intense as it is wholly enchanting. It is a fairy tale for our time." -Chicago Sun-Times "Laura Eason's slick, shrewd and savvy theatrical adaptation is fresh, smart and, yes, populist material that will draw you in quite tightly. Steppenwolf scheduled this show for New York even before its Chicago premiere. You can see why." -Chicago Tribune