''The Freaking Out of Stephanie Blake'' is a 1967 stage comedy which starred

Jean Arthur Jean Arthur (born Gladys Georgianna Greene; October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1991) was an American Broadway and film actress whose career began in silent films in the early 1920s and lasted until the early 1950s. Arthur had feature roles in three F ...

and was produced by

Cheryl Crawford Cheryl Crawford (September 24, 1902 – October 7, 1986) was an American theatre producer and director. Biography Born in Akron, Ohio, Crawford majored in drama at Smith College. Following graduation in 1925, she moved to New York City and ...

. The play was written by Richard Chandler, who was Crawford's assistant.Zolotow, Sam. "Jean Arthur Due On Stage In Fall: Actress Last Seen Here in 1950 to Do Comedy Role", ''The New York Times'' May 9, 1967, p 53 Although it ran in previews on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, the play never officially opened.

History

It was announced that Jean Arthur would appear on Broadway in the comedy ''The Freaking Out of Stephanie Blake'' in October 1967. It was a famous disaster. Director John Hancock quit during rehearsals after an argument with Chandler and was replaced by Crawford, and then Michael Kahn. Previews, which had been scheduled to begin on October 10, 1967, at the

Eugene O'Neill Theatre The Eugene O'Neill Theatre, previously the Forrest Theatre and the Coronet Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 230 West 49th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and ...

, were postponed, with the opening set for October 30. Jean Arthur (who had $50,000 of her own money in the production) collapsed during previews. The show was then scheduled to open on November 4, 1967, when it was announced that Arthur "had taken ill", and Crawford said "it was 'possible that the whole thing will have to be abandoned'". It cost an estimated $250,000. The story of the production was profiled in

William Goldman William Goldman (August 12, 1931 – November 16, 2018) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He first came to prominence in the 1950s as a novelist before turning to screenwriting. He won Academy Awards for his screenplays '' ...

's '' The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway''. It was one of a series of plays that season which dealt with the generation gap.

Plot

A spinster from Ohio comes to New York before embarking on a trip to Europe. She discovers her niece has fallen with a bunch of hippies and becomes involved with them.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Freaking Out of Stephanie Blake, The 1967 plays Comedy plays American plays