Skyscraper is the first full-length play by
David Auburn. It premiered
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 ...
in 1997. It is a serious comedy about the deterioration of ingenuity and art.
Production
''Skyscraper'' ran Off-Broadway at Greenwich House from September 20, 1997 through October 26, 1997. The play was produced by
The Araca Group
The Araca Group is a live entertainment merchandise and production company founded in 1997 by partners Matthew Rego, Michael Rego, and Hank Unger. First achieving notoriety as producers of the musical ''Urinetown'', the company has gradually bec ...
. Directed by Michael Rego, the cast featured
John Wylie (Louis),
Marianne Hagan (Vivian),
Jeffrey Donovan
Jeffrey Donovan (born May 11, 1968) is an American actor. He played Michael Westen in the television series ''Burn Notice'', and appeared in films such as '' Hitch'', '' Believe in Me'', '' Changeling'', and ''Come Early Morning''. He played Ro ...
, Nina Landey, Andrew Sgroi and
Jenna Stern
Jenna Stern is an American actress who appeared in the play "Skyscraper".
Stern is the daughter of actress Samantha Eggar and actor and producer Tom Stern. Her brothers are Nicolas Stern and Cameron Cash.
Stern is married to actor Brennan Brow ...
.
[Sommer, Elyse]
"Review 'Skyscraper' "
CurtainUp.com, September 29, 1997 The play was written during Auburn's time as a
Juilliard
The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...
Fellow and was re-worked during his Juilliard residency in 1993-95; the play had a workshop presentation at the
Berkshire Theatre Festival
The Berkshire Theatre Festival is one of the oldest professional performing arts venues in the Berkshires, celebrating its 80th anniversary season in 2008.
History
The main building of the Berkshire Theatre Festival was originally the Stockbridge ...
(Massachusetts).
The play takes place in Chicago, Illinois, where several people are attempting to save an historic skyscraper from being demolished.
Critical reception
The ''CurtainUp'' reviewer wrote: "At its comedic best 'Skyscraper' gently satirizes the less enlightened city planners' tendency to tear down edifices of historic and artistic significance... The play has too many serious undertones to quite fit its advance billing as a romantic comedy. A more accurate description would be serio-comedy with a generous dash of reality-based fantasy."
[
Peter Marks, in his review for '']The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', wrote: " ''Skyscraper,'' in fact, fairly teems with intriguing notions. But none of them, ultimately, amount to much. Mr. Auburn has expended all of his energy on the structure of ''Skyscraper'' without paying enough attention to the people who inhabit it. As a result, the play, under the direction of Michael Rego, is as rigorous -- and emotionally arid -- as a master's thesis."
The ''Variety
Variety may refer to:
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* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' reviewer wrote: " ''Skyscraper'' at first appears to be a zany romantic comedy but soon head down a dark avenue of memory and fantasy. Playwright David Auburn skillfully introduces an oddly balanced group of characters whose lives merge on the rooftop of an old Chicago building marked for demolition. With a teasing and unpredictable narrative, the well-tuned ensemble carries the crisp humor through a deepening mystery."[Daniels, Robert]
"Review: ''Skyscraper'' "
''Variety'', September 28, 1997
References
{{reflist
External links
''Skyscraper'' at Internet Off-Broadway Database''Skyscraper'', Dramatists Play Service, Inc (books.google)
Plays by David Auburn
1997 plays