| Body Awareness | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Annie Baker |
| Characters | Joyce Phyllis Jared Frank |
| Date premiered | May 28, 2008 |
| Place premiered | Atlantic Theater Company |
| Original language | English |
Body Awareness is a one-act 2008 play by Annie Baker. Its original production ran from May 28 to June 22, 2008 at the Atlantic Theater Company.[1]
Contents |
The play is set in the fictional small town of Shirley, Vermont, where Phyllis, a college campus organizer for Body Awareness Week (whose topics range from a dance troupe of refugee Palestinian children to an eating disorder seminar) lives with her partner Joyce, a high school social studies teacher, and Joyce's 21-year-old son Jared, from a prior marriage. Jared shows several symptoms of Asperger's syndrome, but he refuses to see a therapist for treatment. Their houseguest is a middle-aged photographer named Frank Bonitatibus, whose artistic photos of nude women offend Phyllis. Frank's presence exacerbates the already existing tension between the three of them, and when Joyce agrees to pose for one of Frank's pictures, this threatens her relationship with Phyllis. Meanwhile, Jared, a self-described autodidact who works at McDonald's until he successfully tries to get fired because he hates his co-workers, asks Frank for advice on how to attract women.
The Boston premier took place on October 22, 2010 til November 20, 2010. It was produced by the SpeakEasy Stage Company and teamed with Company One (which put on Aliens) and the Huntington Theatre Company (which put on Circle Mirror Transformation) as part of "The Shirley, VT Plays" Festival. It was directed by Paul Daigneault, with scenic design by Cristina Todesco, costume design by Bobby Frederick Tilley II, lighting design by Jeff Adelberg, original music & sound design by Nathan Leigh, and Victoria S. Coady as production stage manager.[2]
Nominations