Gemini (play)

Gemini
Written by Albert Innaurato
Date premiered December 8, 1976
Place premiered Playwrights Horizons
New York City
Original language English
Genre Comedy
Setting South Philadelphia

Gemini is a play by Albert Innaurato.

Plot

Set in the backyard of a blue collar South Philadelphia neighborhood early in the summer of 1973, the comedy-drama focuses on the 21st birthday celebration of Harvard student Francis Geminiani. In attendance are his divorced blue collar father Fran and Fran's widowed girlfriend Lucille, next-door neighbor Bunny Weinberger and her overweight son Herschel, and Francis' classmates, the wealthy WASP Hastings siblings; Judith (who seeks romance with Francis) and Randy (the object of Francis' unexpressed affection), who have arrived unexpectedly, much to their friend's dismay. All are dysfunctional to varying degrees, and the interactions among them provide the play with its comic and dramatic moments.

Production history

Playwrights Horizons first staged the play in December 1976 with a cast that included Jonathan Hadary, Jon Polito, and Sigourney Weaver. The following March it was mounted by the Circle Repertory Company with Hadary (Herschel Weinberger), Jessica James (Bunny), Danny Aiello (Fran), Carol Potter (Judith Hastings), and Robert Picardo (Francis Geminiani). Critical response encouraged the producers to transfer the play to Broadway.

The Broadway production, with the same cast directed by Peter Mark Schifter and supervised by Marshall W. Mason, opened on May 21, 1977 at the Little Theatre and closed on September 6, 1981 after 1,819 performances.

A 1980 screen adaptation, written and directed by Richard Benner, was entitled Happy Birthday, Gemini. The cast included Madeline Kahn, Rita Moreno, Robert Viharo, Alan Rosenberg, David Marshall Grant, and Sarah Holcomb.

A 1999 off-Broadway Second Stage Theatre revival closed after 14 performances.[1]

Awards and nominations

1977 Off-Broadway
Anne DeSalvo - performance - winner
Danny Aiello- performance - winner
Albert Innaurato - playwrighting - winner
1977 Broadway

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New American Play - nomination

References

  1. ↑ Lefkowitz, David."Innaurato's Gemini Gets First Major NY Mounting Since Bway Smash, May 26-June 27", playbill.com, June 16, 1999
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