Teeth is a sharp tale of revenge and transformation that tears through a culture of shame and repressed desire one delightfully unhinged song at a time. The musical follows Dawn O’Keefe, an evangelical Christian teen struggling to be an exemplar of purity amongst her community of fellow Promise Keeper Girls. Her stepbrother, Brad - alienated by his repressive upbringing in the community led by his fanatical Pastor father and intrigued by the online camaraderie of the Truthseeker men’s support group—is haunted by an indelible incident from his and Dawn’s past. As Dawn’s desires become tested and twisted by the men in her life, she discovers a deadly secret not even she understands: when men violate her, her body bites back—literally. Crackling with irrepressible desire and ancient rage, Teeth is a dark horror comedy conjuring the legend of one girl whose sexual curse may also be her salvation.
Garnering considerable acclaim upon its sold-out, twice extended bow in February 2024 at Playwrights Horizons, Sara Holdren of Vulture wrote, “Teeth feels like the musical equivalent of driving a spike-covered Mad Max car across the desert while getting chased by war boys on their way to Valhalla. It’s a rush—and it’s also a pitch-dark examination of the very real chokehold of Christofascist ideology in America.” Adam Feldman of Time Out NY awarded Teeth four stars, Zachary Stewart of Theatermania described it as “a brilliant must-see musical,” and Brittani Samuel, reviewing for The Washington Post, deemed it “a brazen, unique, cackle-worthy slice of musical theater.”
