''The Night of the Iguana'' is a stage play written by American author
Tennessee Williams. It is based on his 1948 short story. In 1959, Williams staged it as a one-act play, and over the next two years he developed it into a full-length play, producing two different versions in 1959 and 1960, and then arriving at the three-act version that premiered on Broadway in 1961. Two film adaptations have been made: The Oscar-winning
1964 film
The year 1964 in film involved some significant events, including three highly successful musical films, ''Mary Poppins,'' ''My Fair Lady,'' and ''The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.''
Top-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1964 released films by box of ...
directed by
John Huston and starring
Richard Burton,
Ava Gardner, and
Deborah Kerr, and a 2000 Croatian production.
Description
The Reverend T. Lawrence Shannon characterizes the
Western image of God as a "senile delinquent" during a sermon and is locked out of his church. Shannon is not defrocked, but he is institutionalized for a "
nervous breakdown". In 1940s Mexico, some time after his release, the Rev. Shannon is working as a tour guide for a second-rate travel agency. Shortly before the opening of the play, Shannon is accused of committing
statutory rape of a 16-year-old girl, Charlotte Goodall, who is among his current group of tourists.
As the curtain rises, Shannon and a group of women arrive at a cheap hotel on the coast of Mexico managed by his friends Fred and Maxine Faulk. Fred has recently died, and Maxine has assumed sole responsibility for managing the establishment.
Struggling emotionally, Shannon tries to manage his tour party, who have turned against him for having sexual relations with the minor, and Maxine is interested in him for purely carnal reasons. Adding to this chaotic scenario, spinster Hannah Jelkes appears with her moribund grandfather, Nonno, who, despite his failing health, is composing his last poem. Jelkes, who scrapes by as a traveling painter and sketch artist, is soon at Maxine's mercy. Shannon, who wields considerable influence over Maxine, offers Hannah shelter for the night. The play's main axis is the development of the deeply human bond between Hannah and Shannon.
Minor characters in the play include a group of German tourists whose Nazi marching songs paradoxically lighten the heavier themes of the play while suggesting the horrors of World War II; the Mexican "boys" Maxine employs to help run the hotel who ignore her laconic commands; and Judith Fellowes, the "
butch" vocal teacher charged with Charlotte's care during the trip.
The Reverend T. Lawrence Shannon was based partly on Williams' cousin and close friend, the Reverend Sidney Lanier, the iconoclastic rector of St. Clement's Episcopal Church, New York. Lanier was a significant figure in the New York theater scene in the 1950s and 1960s, started a Ministry to the Theatre Arts, and became co-founder of the experimental
American Place Theatre in 1962. Lanier resigned from his ministry in May 1965.
Original Broadway production
The play premiered on Broadway at the
Royale Theatre on December 28, 1961, and ran for 316 performances. It starred
Patrick O'Neal as Rev. Shannon, two-time Oscar winner
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her p ...
as Maxine, and
Margaret Leighton as Hannah. Davis left the production after four months and was replaced by
Shelley Winters.
Maxine, Davis's role, is a lusty life-force of a woman, with some good comic lines, who is offstage for a significant part of the play, while Hannah is on. The play featured
Louis Guss
Louis Guss (January 4, 1918 – September 29, 2008) was an American character actor with a long line of screen credits, having appeared in hundreds of TV series, feature films and stage productions, specializing in blue-collar ethnic roles, over ...
,
Bruce Glover
Bruce Herbert Glover (born May 2, 1932) is an American character actor best known for his portrayal of the assassin Mr. Wint in the James Bond film '' Diamonds Are Forever''. He is the father of actor Crispin Glover.
Life and career
Glover was ...
,
James Farentino, and
Alan Webb as the dying grandfather to whom Hannah is devoted. The production was directed by
Frank Corsaro. (In her memoir, ''Dark Victory,'' Davis wrote that she banned Corsaro from rehearsals shortly before opening). The play was nominated for a
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...
for Best Play. Leighton, as Hannah, won the
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...
for Best Actress in a Play.
Film versions
John Huston directed the 1964 film and co-wrote the screenplay with
Anthony Veiller
Anthony Veiller (23 June 1903 – 27 June 1965) was an American screenwriter and film producer. He wrote for 41 films between 1934 and 1964.
Life and career
Veiller was born on 23 June 1903 in New York City to playwright and screenwriter B ...
. It stars
Richard Burton as Rev. Shannon,
Ava Gardner as Maxine and
Deborah Kerr as Hannah. The cast includes
Sue Lyon
Sue or SUE may refer to:
Music
* Sue Records, an American record label
* ''Sue'' (album), an album by Frazier Chorus
* "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)", a song by David Bowie
Places
* Sue Islet (Queensland), one of the Torres Straits island ...
,
Cyril Delevanti,
Grayson Hall
Grayson Hall (September 18, 1922 – August 7, 1985) was an American television, film, and stage actress. She was widely regarded for her avant-garde theatrical performances from the 1960s to the 1980s. Hall was nominated for an Academy ...
(who received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Miss Fellowes) and Barbara Joyce (who later became an acclaimed artist).
The film won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design (B&W), and was nominated for Art Direction and for Cinematography (by
Gabriel Figueroa), as well as for Hall's performance.
The film eliminates the Nazi tourists and the character of Jake Latta, and Shannon is fired through a comical telephone call.
A Croatian film adaptation, directed by Janusz Kica, was released in 2000.
1976 Broadway revival
The 1976 Broadway revival at the
Circle in the Square Theatre
The Circle in the Square Theatre is a Broadway theater at 235 West 50th Street, in the basement of Paramount Plaza, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It is one of two Broadway theaters that use a thrust stage that extends ...
was directed by
Joseph Hardy, with scenery and lighting by
H.R. Poindexter, and costumes by
Noel Taylor. Randall Brooks was production stage manager and James Bernadi was stage manager.
The opening night cast featured
Richard Chamberlain (Rev. Shannon), Gary Tacon (Pedro), William Paulson (Pancho), Ben Van Vacter (Wolfgang), Jennifer Savidge (Hilda), John Rose (Herr Fahrenkopf), Amelia Laurenson (Frau Fahrenkopf), Matt Bennett (Hank), Barbara Caruso (Judith Fellows),
Allison Argo
Allison Argo (born December 23, 1953) is an American film producer, director, writer, editor, and narrator. She is best known for her documentaries that focus on endangered wildlife and conservation. Her films have received awards including six ...
(Charlotte Goodall),
William Roerick (Nonno), Benjamin Stewart (Jake Latta),
Dorothy McGuire (Hannah), and
Sylvia Miles (Maxine).
Other stage productions
* The Circle in the Square Theatre staged a 1988 revival starring Nicolas Surovy as Rev. Shannon,
Jane Alexander as Maxine and
Maria Tucci
Maria Tucci (born June 19, 1941) is an American actress.
She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play in 1967 for her performance in ''The Rose Tattoo''. She played Koula in the 2015 mini-series '' The Slap''. She als ...
as Hannah.
* In 1996, a Broadway revival directed by
Robert Falls, featured
William Petersen as Rev. Shannon,
Marsha Mason as Maxine and
Cherry Jones as Hannah. This was based on a 1994 production staged by the
Goodman Theatre in Chicago.
* In London, a 1992 production at the
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...
featured performances by
Alfred Molina as Rev. Shannon and
Eileen Atkins as Hannah. This production was directed by
Richard Eyre.
* A critically acclaimed 2005 London production at
Lyric Theatre starred
Woody Harrelson as Rev. Shannon,
Clare Higgins as Maxine, and
Jenny Seagrove as Hannah. This production was directed by Anthony Page.
* In 2017, the
American Repertory Theater production included
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...
as Nonno,
Amanda Plummer as Hannah,
Dana Delany as Maxine, and Bill Heck as Rev. Shannon.
* In 2019, the
Noël Coward Theatre at London's West End showed a limited time production by
James Macdonald, starring
Clive Owen
Clive Owen (born 3 October 1964) is an English actor. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for playing the lead role in the ITV series ''Chancer'' from 1990 to 1991. He received critical acclaim for his work in the film '' Close ...
as Rev. Shannon,
Anna Gunn as Maxine,
Lia Williams as Hannah,
Julian Glover as Nonno and
Finty Williams
Tara Cressida Frances "Finty" Williams (born 24 September 1972) is an English actress.
Life
Williams was born on 24 September 1972 in London, the only child of Judi Dench and Michael Williams. Williams trained at the Central School of Speech an ...
as Miss Fellowes.
In popular culture
*"Night of the Iguana" is a song by
Joni Mitchell from her 2007 album ''
Shine''. It is a thematic and lyrical adaptation of the Tennessee Williams play.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Night Of The Iguana, The
1961 plays
American plays adapted into films
Plays by Tennessee Williams
Plays set in Mexico
Works set in hotels