Durham, NC, May 22, 2025 — Queer one-woman rom-com Will Shea, Won’t Shea? comes to Durham’s Mettlesome Theater in June. The show makes its American debut after two successful runs in London and a month long run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 

Will Shea, Won’t Shea? is a queer one-woman show that follows Shea as she tries to orchestrate the romantic comedy of her dreams. But what happens when her big kiss-in-the rain moment never comes? Will she get the guy? Does she even want the guy, or any guy?

Inspired by the will-they/won’t-they relationships of our time (Harry and Sally, Ross and Rachel), Shea knows the the best way to find love is to pick any random dude, make him your best friend, and pine for each other in secret for years. That’s the dream!... right? But as things begin to fall apart, Shea is forced to confront the real reason she wants to keep men at arm’s-length: maybe it’s the closest she can get to dating them – without actually having to date them.

Combining stand-up and character work, Shea invites audiences help her on her journey to answer the age-old questions: Is Shea just a lesbian? Does she want to f*ck Channing Tatum or just want him to respect her? And when will someone storm out of their big meeting to run to her in the rain and kiss her!? Will Shea, Won’t Shea? asks what happens when a queer woman forces her way into a traditional romantic comedy.

☆☆☆☆ “Hits all the right beats” 
- One4Review

☆☆☆☆ "Had the group of aptly called out twenty something bisexuals howling with laughter”
- A Young(ish) Perspective 

9 Of The Most Noteworthy Shows To See During The Edinburgh Fringe 2024 
- Secret Edinburgh

16 LGBTQIA shows to see at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival
- Diva Magazine

Will Shea, Won’t Shea? will be at Mettlesome Theater Thursday, June 12 at 7:30 and Friday, June 13 at 8 pm. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased for Thursday: https://thisismettlesome.com/live/2025/6/12/shea and Friday: https://thisismettlesome.com/live/2025/6/13/shea. Mettlesome Theater is located is located at Golden Belt: 800 Taylor St, Suite 9-15. Durham, NC, 27701.

Shea Stanley is a Durham based writer, actor, and comedian who has been performing stand-up for almost ten years. She just returned from a few years living in London, where she worked as an actor and hosted a monthly lesbian open mic, Shea’s Gays. She also performed standup in places such as Angel Comedy and the Queer Comedy Club, where she won first place in their competition show, Gag Race. In North Carolina, she wrote Tequila Herself, a full length play commissioned by the National Women’s Theatre Festival, as well as the audio fiction I’m Not Here Right Now, as part of Artist Soapbox’s Food For Thought project. Shea’s material ranges from goofy observational humor about her crushes, to heavier more introspective work about her crushes. www.shea-stanley.com