Betty's Summer Vacation
Encyclopedia
Betty's Summer Vacation is a play by Christopher Durang
.
In many ways, this play was a “comeback” hit for Durang. His career flourished in the late seventies and early eighties with off-Broadway smashes like The Marriage of Bette and Boo and Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You
. By the late eighties, critics grew unkind, and Durang turned more to his career as a “cameo” in a variety of moderately successful films. In 1995, Manhattan Theatre Club produced Durang/Durang, an evening of very well received, new, short pieces by Durang. This was the appetizer to a comeback, and theatre fans were anxiously awaiting a main course. It came in the form of a Broadway opening . . . Sex And Longing, a critical disaster of monumental proportions. Durang lay dormant for a while, heading up alongside Marsha Norman
the Playwriting program at Juilliard. On February 19, 1999, Betty’s Summer Vacation premiered off Broadway at Playwright's Horizons. The critics smiled. The theatre community smiled. A voice that had been sadly missing had finally returned.
Under the direction of Nicholas Martin, the play was produced at the Huntington Theatre in 2001 with Andrea Martin
playing Mrs. Siezmagraff.
The most recent professional production of the play was at Bay Street Theatre in July 2011. Trip Cullman directed the 9-member cast, which starred Heidi Shreck as Betty and Veanne Veanne Cox as Mrs. Siezmagraff. The cast also included Bobby Steggert, John Behlmann, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Tom Riis Farrell, Tim Intravia, Kate O'Phalen, and Jacob Hoffman.
Christopher Durang
Christopher Ferdinand Durang is an American playwright known for works of outrageous and often absurd comedy. His work was especially popular in the 1980s.- Life :...
.
In many ways, this play was a “comeback” hit for Durang. His career flourished in the late seventies and early eighties with off-Broadway smashes like The Marriage of Bette and Boo and Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You
Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You
Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You is a play by Christopher Durang first performed on December 14, 1979, at the Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York City. It was performed on a bill with one-act plays that included works by David Mamet, Marsha Norman, and Tennessee Williams...
. By the late eighties, critics grew unkind, and Durang turned more to his career as a “cameo” in a variety of moderately successful films. In 1995, Manhattan Theatre Club produced Durang/Durang, an evening of very well received, new, short pieces by Durang. This was the appetizer to a comeback, and theatre fans were anxiously awaiting a main course. It came in the form of a Broadway opening . . . Sex And Longing, a critical disaster of monumental proportions. Durang lay dormant for a while, heading up alongside Marsha Norman
Marsha Norman
Marsha Norman is an American playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. She received the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play night, Mother...
the Playwriting program at Juilliard. On February 19, 1999, Betty’s Summer Vacation premiered off Broadway at Playwright's Horizons. The critics smiled. The theatre community smiled. A voice that had been sadly missing had finally returned.
Production History
Original production took place Off-Broadway at Playwright's Horizons, opening on February 19, 1999, and was directed by Nicholas Martin and starred Kellie Overbeyhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0653821/ as Betty. Durang won an Obie, as did set designer Thomas Lynch and actor Kristine Nelson for her portrayal of Mrs. Siezmagraff.Under the direction of Nicholas Martin, the play was produced at the Huntington Theatre in 2001 with Andrea Martin
Andrea Martin
Andrea Louise Martin is an American and Canadian actress and comedienne. She has appeared in films such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, on stage in productions such as My Favorite Year, Fiddler on the Roof and Candide, and in the television series, SCTV.-Personal life:Martin, the oldest of three...
playing Mrs. Siezmagraff.
The most recent professional production of the play was at Bay Street Theatre in July 2011. Trip Cullman directed the 9-member cast, which starred Heidi Shreck as Betty and Veanne Veanne Cox as Mrs. Siezmagraff. The cast also included Bobby Steggert, John Behlmann, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Tom Riis Farrell, Tim Intravia, Kate O'Phalen, and Jacob Hoffman.