Bill W. and Dr. Bob is a play that began previews Off Broadway at New World Stages on February 16, 2007 and opened on March 5, 2007. It ran for 132 performances at New World Stages and closed on June 10, 2007. It is based on the story of William Wilson ( Bill W.) and Dr.Robert Smith (Bob S., or "Dr. Bob), the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous and their wives Lois Wilson and Anne Smith, creators of Al-Anon. Bill W. and Dr. Bob is written by Stephen Bergman and Janet Surrey, produced by Bradford S. Lovette, Dr. Michael and Judith Weinberg, and The New Repertory Theatre and stars Marc Carver as Man, Kathleen Doyle as Anne Smith, Deanna Dunmyer as Woman, Rachel Harker as Lois Wilson, Patrick Husted as Dr. Bob Smith and Robert Krakovski as Bill Wilson. It is directed by Rick Lombardo and with music composed by Ray Kennedy.
Essentially, the story retells that of the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous:
"In 1929, the famous New York stockbroker William G. Wilson crashed with the stock market and became a hopeless drunk. Dr. Bob Smith was a surgeon from Ohio, who had also been an alcoholic for thirty years. In fact, he often went into the operating room with a hangover. Through an astonishing series of events, Bill W. and Dr. Bob Smith met and formed a relationship, each helping to keep the other sober. The two went on to form AA together."