Uncommon Women and Others
Encyclopedia
Uncommon Women and Others (1977), is the first play
by noted 20th century American
playwright Wendy Wasserstein
.
in a Phoenix Theatre production on November 21, 1977 and closed on December 4, 1977 after 22 performances. It was directed by Steven Robman
and performed at the Marymount Manhattan Theatre, New York
.
(Wasserstein's alma mater
) meet for lunch one day in 1978 and talk about their time together in college. The play is thus a series of flashbacks to the 1972-1973 school year as seven seniors and one freshman try to "discover themselves" in the wake of second-wave feminism
.
played Leilah.
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
by noted 20th century American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
playwright Wendy Wasserstein
Wendy Wasserstein
Wendy Wasserstein was an American playwright and an Andrew Dickson White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University...
.
1977 Off-Broadway debut
The play premiered Off-BroadwayOff-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
in a Phoenix Theatre production on November 21, 1977 and closed on December 4, 1977 after 22 performances. It was directed by Steven Robman
Steven Robman
Steven I. Robman or Steve Robman is an American television and theatre director/producer.He was graduated from Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, California , University of California, Berkeley , and the Yale School of Drama .He has been married to actress Kathy Baker since 2003...
and performed at the Marymount Manhattan Theatre, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Characters and stage cast
- Glenn CloseGlenn CloseGlenn Close is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and...
- Leilah - Swoosie KurtzSwoosie KurtzSwoosie Kurtz is an American actress. She began her career in theater during the 1970s and shortly thereafter began a career in television, garnering ten nominations and winning one Emmy Award. Her most famous television project was her role on the 1990s NBC drama Sisters...
- Rita Altabel - Jill EikenberryJill EikenberryJill Eikenberry is an American film, stage, and television actress. She is best known for her role as lawyer Ann Kelsey in L.A. Law...
- Kate Quin - Ellen ParkerEllen Parker (actress)Ellen Parker is an American actress.-Stage work:Parker is a well regarded New York stage actress; among her credits was the original production of the Wendy Wasserstein play The Heidi Chronicles, as well as Equus, David Hare's Plenty, and the play "Strangers". She also had a role in the film...
- Muffet DiNicola - Ann McDonough - Samantha Stewart
- Alma CuervoAlma CuervoAlma Cuervo is an American stage actress and singer, who has also performed in film and television. She holds an M.F.A. in acting from the Yale School of Drama, from which she graduated in 1976 alongside Meryl Streep. She starred in the role of Madame Morrible in the first national tour of Wicked....
- Holly Kaplan - Josephine Nicholas - Mrs. Plumm
- Cynthia Herman - Susie Friend
- Anna LevineAnna LevineAnna Kluger Levine is an American actress. She has also been credited as Anna Levine Thompson and Anna Thomson.-Filmography:* Desperately Seeking Susan as Crystal* Murphy's Romance as Wanda...
- Carter - Alexander ScourbyAlexander ScourbyAlexander Scourby was an American film, television, and voice actor known for his deep and resonant voice...
- Narrator (voice)
Plot summary
Alumnae of Mount Holyoke CollegeMount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
(Wasserstein's alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
) meet for lunch one day in 1978 and talk about their time together in college. The play is thus a series of flashbacks to the 1972-1973 school year as seven seniors and one freshman try to "discover themselves" in the wake of second-wave feminism
Second-wave feminism
The Feminist Movement, or the Women's Liberation Movement in the United States refers to a period of feminist activity which began during the early 1960s and lasted through the early 1990s....
.
Film
A made-for-television film was broadcast in 1978, with all of the stage cast reprising their roles, except that Meryl StreepMeryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film.Streep made her professional stage debut in 1971's The Playboy of Seville, before her screen debut in the television movie The Deadliest Season in 1977. In that same year, she made her film debut with...
played Leilah.