The House of Blue Leaves
is a play by American playwright John Guare, first staged in 1966 by Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut.
Set in Sunnyside, Queens in 1965, on the day Pope Paul VI visited New York City, the black comedy features nuns, a political bombing, a GI headed for Vietnam, a zookeeper who dreams of making it big in Hollywood as a songwriter, and his wife Bananas, a schizophrenic destined for the institution that provides the play's title.
|
THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES TICKETS
|
Productions
The House of Blue Leaves
, directed by
Mel Shapiro, opened on February 10, 1971 at the
off-Broadway Truck and Warehouse Theatre, where it ran for 337 performances. The cast included
Frank Converse,
Harold Gould,
Katherine Helmond,
William Atherton, and
Anne Meara.
A 1986 revival directed by
Jerry Zaks was staged at the
off-Broadway Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and then transferred to the
Vivian Beaumont Theatre, where it played five months before transferring again to the
Plymouth Theatre, for a total run of 398 performances. The opening night cast included
Swoosie Kurtz,
John Mahoney,
Stockard Channing,
Danny Aiello,
Ben Stiller, and
Julie Hagerty.
Christine Baranski and
Patricia Clarkson joined the production later in the run. It won the
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival.
Film adaptation
Directed by
Kirk Browning and
Jerry Zaks, the play was staged at the
Eugene O'Neill Theatre in 1987 with Swoosie Kurtz, John Mahoney, Christine Baranski, and Ben Stiller specifically for a broadcast on the
PBS series
American Playhouse
. The
film adaptation was shot with minicams before an audience.
Awards and nominations
;Awards
- 1971 Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best American Play
- 1971 Obie Award for Best American Play
- 1986 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival
;Nominations
- 1986 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play