| Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All by Myself | |
| Characters: | Madea, Vianne, Bobby, Maylee, Anthony, Cora, Mr. Brown and Keisha |
| Setting: | Madea's Home |
| Place: | Chicago |
| Orig Lang: | English |
| Genre: | Comedy-Drama |
| Last Play: | Woman, Thou Art Loosed! |
| Chronology: | Tyler Perry Plays |
| Next Play: | Behind Closed Doors |
Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All by Myself is a 1999 American stage play written, directed, and produced by and starring Tyler Perry. The play marks the first official appearance of the well-known fictional character Madea, whom Perry portrays. Although the original production was not recorded, the live performance released on DVD and VHS was recorded in Washington, D.C., at the Lincoln Theatre in August 2002.
Vianne, who is in the middle of settling a bitter divorce with her ex-husband Anthony– a successful stockbroker - has moved in with her grandmother, Mable "Madea" Simmons. Madea is sick with complications from her diabetes. Another person Madea is helping out is Bobby, an ex-con. Bobby is Madea's handyman and usually cuts her grass. Both Madea and Vianne find him attractive, though Vianne would not like to admit it.
Vianne's niece, Keisha, is also staying with Madea. Keisha's mother, Maylee, shows up at her school wearing a blond wig and a mini-skirt, embarrassing Keisha. Maylee later pops up at the house, announcing her engagement to none other than Vianne's ex-husband, Anthony.
Keisha is resentful towards her mother for being away for so long. When Anthony calls, Maylee drops everything to assist him, leaving Keisha alone (Motherless Child).
Madea's daughter, Cora, arrives, announcing she only stays for the weekend as she lives out of town. Keisha confided in her aunt about her troubles with the kids at school, as they all bullied her except for one kid named Kelly. Madea's next-door neighbor, Mr. Brown, also drops by and brings in her mail.
While everyone is preparing for dinner, Bobby, taking a shower, runs downstairs to get some soap. While Bobby and Vianne flirt with each other, Madea can tell that Vianne secretly likes him. Dinner tensions are high as Bobby and Anthony debate their religious beliefs, and Anthony insults Madea. The family then reminisces over their time in the church choir, singing old gospel favorites (Old Time Mix).
Tensions blew soon after Anthony started insulting Vianne. Maylee and Vianne then get into a spat of their own. This leads a hurt Vianne to pull a knife on Anthony, alarming everybody. The entire family disperses, except Cora, who tries to calm Vianne down. Vianne, left with all the rubble of the night, tries to reflect (Lord, I'm Sorry).
Bobby returns, flirting with Vianne, and tells her his story of how he was incarcerated. Vianne opens up about her past relationships & newfound doubts while Bobby assures her their relationship will be different (Let Me Hold You).
Maylee gets a call from the school nurse about Keisha. Anthony tells Maylee that she must either choose between their daughter, convinced she'd hinder his lifestyle. When Keisha arrives home, Maylee orders her to put her stuff down as they will go to the clinic. Keisha is pregnant with the neighbor boy, Kelly's child. Maylee insists she has an abortion. Cora tries to get through to her, but Maylee will not have it. It is revealed that Keisha was the product of a rape that Maylee endured at 13 at the hands of a man her mother let use her for drug money. With that, Maylee forces Keisha out of the house, and Cora is left alone, praying for her family's saving (In the Name of Jesus).
Madea gets a call from Eric Jones offering Bobby a job and relays the message to Bobby and Vianne. When Maylee and Keisha return from the clinic, Madea admonishes them. It is, however, too late, as Keisha is too far gone to get an abortion.
Vianne tries to get Maylee to understand that Anthony does not love her and that he is only marrying her to get back at Vianne. Maylee, upset, refuses to believe her. Bobby tells everyone about his job offer in California as Head Foreman but is reluctant to accept.
Vianne and Bobby force Madea upstairs as they talk about their future. Bobby wants marriage and kids, but Vianne does not see it for her right now. As they talk, the doorbell rings, and Mr. Brown is mad at Madea for giving his dog sleeping pills. Madea and Brown get into a light insulting match, leaving Vianne and Bobby to call the vet.
The next day, while Bobby is packing his bags, he runs into Anthony. Anthony tries to turn Bobby against Vianne, again insulting her weight. Bobby tells Anthony that Vianne never loved him. Anthony threatens Bobby to move away to California and leave Vianne alone for good. If he stays here, Anthony will call his probation officer and send him back to prison, seeing as they're old friends.
Police sirens are then heard, and Madea enters, running upstairs. Madea and Maylee were out getting their nails done when the nail salon employees began talking about Madea. One employee, in particular, insulted her, comparing her to Godzilla. So, she shot up the nail salon and hightailed home. Maylee comes back, angrily relaying the details to the boys.
Bobby debates whether to stay or take the job offer in California. Vianne tells him to follow his heart. Bobby realizes he wants to stay with Vianne even though she says she's not ready for a relationship. However, Bobby still walks out the door and heads for California. Madea tells Vianne that she needs to go after her man. After a few minutes of hesitation, Vianne decides to chase Bobby down before he leaves. However, when Vianne opens the door, Bobby is revealed to be standing right there. Bobby comes inside and proposes to Vianne, and under Madea's direction, she agrees.
Vianne drives Madea off to the casino. Maylee congratulates Bobby on the proposal, though she is admittedly jealous of their relationship. Cora reconciles Maylee and Keisha (It's Gonna Be Hallelujah).
Later that day, Maylee brings Anthony his bags and tells him he will drive home alone. Once Anthony leaves, Maylee apologizes to Vianne for everything. Cora gathers the family to reflect on all of the insight they've gained despite all that has caused them pain in the past (God is the Answer).
| Character | 1999 Original Cast | 2000 Cast | 2002 Film Cast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madea | Tyler Perry | |||
| Vianne | Kisha Grandy | |||
| Bobby | Tyga Graham | |||
| Maylee | Tosha Moore | Terri Brown-Britton | Donna Stewart | |
| Anthony | Carl Pertile | |||
| Mr. Brown | David Mann | |||
| Cora | Tamela Mann | |||
| Keisha | - | Elaine O'Neale | ||
All songs written and/or produced by Tyler Perry and Elvin D. Ross.
10 years later, a film adaptation titled of the same name was theatrically released on September 11, 2009. The film has a completely different storyline from the play, focusing on an alcoholic club singer (Taraji P. Henson) whose niece and nephews are taken under Madea's wing. It received positive reviews and was commercially successful.
Vianne and Anthony were loosely adapted for A Madea Family Funeral.