The Subject Was Roses
is a Pulitzer Prize-winning 1964 play written by Frank D. Gilroy, who also adapted the work in 1968 for film with the same title.
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THE SUBJECT WAS ROSES TICKETS
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Background
The play premiered on
Broadway at the
Royale Theatre on 25 May 1964, starring
Jack Albertson,
Irene Dailey and
Martin Sheen, and directed by
Ulu Grosbard. A major critical and commercial success, the play ran 882 performances and was nominated for five
Tony Awards, winning two for Best Play and Best Featured Actor (Albertson). For his work in the play, Gilroy won the year's
Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Columbia Records recorded the complete play in a recording studio with the original cast members and released it as a double-LP set.
In the published script, Gilroy included a day-by-day journal he titled,
About Those Roses or How 'Not' To Do a Play and Succeed
. According to the journal, "
The Subject Was Roses
opened on Broadway with a producer who had never produced a Broadway play; a director who had never directed one; a scenic artist who had never designed one; a general manager who had never managed one; and three actors who were virtually unknown." Additionally, the play opened
after
all of the award deadlines, so it was not eligible until the following year, triumphing over
Neil Simon's
The Odd Couple
,
Murray Schisgal's
Luv
and
Edward Albee's
Tiny Alice
for the Tony Award, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize. During the play's two year run,
The Subject Was Roses
played five different
Broadway theatres and
Dustin Hoffman became a replacement stage manager and understudied the role of Timmy.
In 1991, the Roundabout Theatre Company revived the play in New York City with
John Mahoney,
Dana Ivey and
Patrick Dempsey. A 2006 revival of the play was produced by
Jeffrey Finn at the
Kennedy Center starring
Bill Pullman,
Judith Ivey, and Steve Kazee. All three performers were nominated for 2007
Helen Hayes Awards.
Cast and characters
- Irene Dailey - Nettie Cleary
- Jack Albertson - John Cleary
- Martin Sheen - Timmy Cleary
Synopsis
Timmy Cleary returns home from his service during
World War II. While he seems to vindicate himself in his father's eyes for surviving the war, his drinking and cursing disturb his mother. Though his parents, John and Nettie, seem to be happy, the peace proves to be a facade. Soon old emotional wounds and unresolved marital problems resurface. Caught in the middle, Timmy feels responsible for their squabbling, but can see no way to resolve their problems.
Film adaptation
Awards and nominations
;Awards
- 1965 Pulitzer Prize for Drama - Frank D. Gilroy
- 1965 Tony Award for Best Play - Frank D. Gilroy, Edgar Lansbury
- 1965 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play - Jack Albertson
;Nominations
- 1965 Tony Award for Best Author - Frank D. Gilroy
- 1965 Tony Award for Best Director - Ulu Grosbard
- 1965 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play - Martin Sheen
References