''Chaucer in Rome'' is a
play
Play most commonly refers to:
* Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment
* Play (theatre), a work of drama
Play may refer also to:
Computers and technology
* Google Play, a digital content service
* Play Framework, a Java framework
* Pla ...
written by
John Guare
John Guare ( ;; born February 5, 1938) is an American playwright and screenwriter. He is best known as the author of ''The House of Blue Leaves'' and ''Six Degrees of Separation''.
Early life
He was raised in Jackson Heights, Queens.Druckman, ...
. In part, it is a sequel to ''
House of Blue Leaves
''The House of Blue Leaves'' is a play by American playwright John Guare which premiered Off-Broadway in 1971, and was revived in 1986, both Off-Broadway and on Broadway, and was again revived on Broadway in 2011. The play won the Drama Critic ...
'', with one character from that play, Ron Shaughnessy, appearing in ''Chaucer in Rome.''
[
]
Synopsis
The play is set in Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
during the Holy Year of Jubilee, which is extremely crowded with pilgrims seeking confession and absolution. The plot focuses on Matt, a celebrated painter who resides at the American Academy in Rome
The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo (Janiculum Hill) in Rome.
The academy is a member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers.
History
In 1893, a group of American architects, ...
with his lover, Sarah, and his best friend, Pete. Sarah and Pete are both scholars; Pete is analyzing sociopolitical themes in artistic depictions of Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
's fingernails.
Matt has recently recovered from squamous cell carcinoma
Squamous-cell carcinomas (SCCs), also known as epidermoid carcinomas, comprise a number of different types of cancer that begin in squamous cells. These cells form on the surface of the skin, on the lining of hollow organs in the body, and on the ...
, and Pete and Sarah are horrified to discover that Matt's cancer was caused by his deliberate use of carcinogenic chemicals in his paintings of beautiful landscapes, as a political statement on environmental pollution. Meanwhile, Pete's life is complicated by the arrival of his parents, Ron and Dolo. (Ron is a returning character who featured prominently in ''House of Blue Leaves''.) Pete suggests that Matt change mediums, and eventually convinces him to try film. However, when Matt decides that his newest project will be to impersonate a priest and secretly videotape the confessions of pilgrims, the results threaten to drive Pete's already unstable parents over the edge.
Production
''Chaucer in Rome'' premiered at the Williamstown Theatre Festival
The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a resident summer theater on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1954 by Williams College news director Ralph Renzi and drama program chairman David C. Bryant. I ...
, running in July and August 1999. Directed by Nicholas Martin, the cast featured Polly Holliday
Polly Dean Holliday (born July 2, 1937) is a retired American actress who has appeared on stage, television and in film. She is best known for her portrayal of sassy waitress Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry on the 1970s sitcom '' Alice'', which ...
, Bruce Norris, Lee Wilkof
Lee Wilkof (born June 25, 1951) is an American actor and veteran of the Broadway stage. He originated the roles of Samuel Byck in ''Assassins'' and Seymour in '' Little Shop of Horrors, ''later earning a Tony Award nomination for the 2000 reviva ...
and B.D. Wong
Bradley Darryl Wong (born October 24, 1960) is an American actor. Wong won a Tony Award for his performance as Song Liling in ''M. Butterfly'', becoming the only actor in Broadway history to receive the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critic ...
. The play was produced Off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
at the Lincoln Center Theater
The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a Broadway theater in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Operated by the nonprofit Lincoln Center Theater (LCT), the Beaumont is the only Broad ...
Newhouse Theater from May 10, 2001 to July 29, 2001. Directed by Nicholas Martin, the cast featured Jon Tenney
Jonathan Frederick Tenney (born December 16, 1961) is an American actor. He played Special Agent Fritz Howard in TNT's ''The Closer'' and continued in its spinoff '' Major Crimes''.
Early life
Tenney was born in Princeton, New Jersey. His mother, ...
(Matt), Polly Holliday (Dolo), Bruce Norris (Pete), Lee Wilkof (Il Dottore, Father Shapiro), Dick Latessa (Ron), and Carrie Preston
Carrie Preston (born June 21, 1967) is an American actress known for her work on the television series ''True Blood'', ''Person of Interest'', ''Crowded'', ''The Good Wife'', ''The Good Fight'', and ''Claws''. Preston received critical acclaim ...
(Sarah).[" ''Chaucer in Rome'' Listing"]
lct.org, accessed June 30, 2015[Brantley, Ben]
''New York Times'', June 6, 2001
References
{{reflist
2001 plays
Plays by John Guare
Plays set in Italy
Plays set in the 21st century
Sequel plays