| The Hot l Baltimore | |
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Window card for the Gastown Actor's Studio 2001 production |
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| Written by | Lanford Wilson |
| Date premiered | 22 March 1973 |
| Place premiered | Circle in the Square Downtown New York City |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | a manager's struggle to maintain order despite the hotel's destruction |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Setting | The lobby of a seedy run-down hotel in Baltimore |
| IOBDB profile | |
The Hot l Baltimore is a play by Lanford Wilson. Set in the lobby of the Hotel Baltimore, it focuses on the residents of the decaying property who are faced with eviction when the structure is condemned. The play draws its title from the hotel's neon marquee with a burned-out letter "e" which was never replaced.
The Off-Broadway Circle Repertory Company's production, directed by Marshall W. Mason, opened on 22 March 1973, at Circle in the Square Downtown, where it ran for 1666 performances. The cast included Trish Hawkins, Conchata Ferrell, Judd Hirsch, and Jonathan Hogan. It won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best American Play of 1972–73, the John Gassner Playwriting Award, an Obie Award, and an Outer Critics Circle Award.
In 1975, producer Norman Lear adapted the play for a half-hour ABC sitcom. The cast included Conchata Ferrell, James Cromwell, Richard Masur, Al Freeman, Jr., Gloria LeRoy, Jeannie Linero and Charlotte Rae. The series had several controversial elements, including two primary characters who were prostitutes, one of whom was an illegal immigrant and one of the first gay couples to be depicted on an American television series. The network supported the show and gave it a full publicity campaign, but it failed to win an audience and was canceled after thirteen episodes.
In 1976, a version with the title Hôtel Baltimore was produced for television in France. The series, which featured Dora Doll, lasted for only a single season.
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