Body Awareness
| 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 2008 one-act play by Annie Baker. Its original production ran from May 28 to June 22, 2008 at the Atlantic Theater Company.[1]
Plot synopsis
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.
Original Cast
- Joyce: JoBeth Williams
- Phyllis: Mary McCann
- Jared: Jonathan Clem
- Frank: Peter Friedman
Speakeasy Cast
- Joyce: Paula Plum
- Phyllis: Adrianne Krstansky
- Jared: Gregory Pember
- Frank: Richard Snee
Other Productions
The Boston premiere took place from October 22, 2010 until 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 and sound design by Nathan Leigh, and Victoria S. Coady as production stage manager.[2]
Awards and nominations
Nominations
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, 2009
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play (Peter Friedman), 2009
- Outer Critics Circle Award, John Gassner Award, 2008-2009.
References
- ↑ Clements, Alexis Big Break: Annie Baker's Body Awareness, Brooklyn Rail, June 2008
- ↑ http://www.speakeasystage.com/content.php?section=showpage&page=awareness
External links
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