Productions
Henley completed her play in 1978 and submitted it to several regional theatres without success. Unknown to her, a friend entered it in the Great American Play Contest at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, and it was named co-winner and performed in February 1979 at the company's annual festival of New American Plays. The production was extremely well received, and the play was selected by numerous regional theatres for their 1979-80 season. The show starred Lee Anne Fahey, Kathy Bates, and Susan Kingsley.
At the end of 1980, the Manhattan Theatre Club staged the play's New York City premiere for a limited, sold-out engagement of thirty-two performances. After thirteen previews, the Broadway production, directed by Melvin Bernhardt, set design by John Lee Beatty, costumes by Patricia McGourty, and lighting by Dennis Parichy, opened on November 4, 1981 at the John Golden Theatre, where it ran for 535 performances. The opening night cast included Mia Dillon, Mary Beth Hurt, Lizbeth MacKay, Raymond Baker, Sharon Ullrick, and Peter MacNicol. The play's success spawned productions in London's West End, Chicago, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Houston, and it continues to be a popular choice for community theatre and summer stock productions.
A production at Off-Broadway's Second Stage Theatre ran from April 16, 2001 to May 14, 2001. It was directed by Garry Hynes, and featured Julia Murney (Chick), Enid Graham (Lenny), and Mary Catherine Garrison (Babe). The play was nominated for the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Revival of the season.
A Roundabout Theatre Company Off-Broadway production, based on a 2007 Williamstown Theatre Festival production, was directed by Kathleen Turner. It ran February 14, 2008 to April 20 and featured Lily Rabe (Babe), Jennifer Dundas (Lenny), Sarah Paulson (Meg) and Jessica Stone (Chick).
Read more about this topic: Crimes Of The Heart
Famous quotes containing the word productions:
“If you think it will only add one sprig to the wreath the country twines to bind the brows of my hero, I will run the risk of being sneered at by those who criticize female productions of all kinds. ...Though a female, I was born a patriot.”
—Annie Boudinot Stockton (1736–1801)
“It is well known, that the best productions of the best human intellects, are generally regarded by those intellects as mere immature freshman exercises, wholly worthless in themselves, except as initiatives for entering the great University of God after death.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“Eternity is in love with the productions of time.”
—William Blake (1757–1827)