It’s unfair and, frankly, maddening that Adrienne Shelly didn’t get to see just how far her 2007 indie film Waitress would go. Shelly, who wrote and co-starred in Waitress, was killed by a construction worker in November 2006. Her film was accepted into Sundance, she received a posthumous nomination for Best Screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards, and her film, which cost just $1.5 million to make, was adapted into an impressive Broadway play featuring original music by Grammy winner Sara Bareilles. Waitress is the story of an unhappy woman trapped in an abusive relationship — it was written with warmth, wit and charm, no doubt to inspire women to never be afraid to want more out of life. The stage version, adapted by Jessie Nelson, continues to do that. It features an all-woman creative team, including director Diane Paulus. Waitress was nominated for four Tony Awards in 2016, including Best Musical and Best Original Score, and the Chicago Tribune declared it “an empowering musical of the highest order.” Shelly didn’t get to see it, but her message continues to ring throughout the world: Women are strong as hell. MEGAN SELING
Waitress
