''The Sisters Rosensweig'' is a play by

Wendy Wasserstein Wendy Wasserstein (October 18, 1950 – January 30, 2006) was an American playwright. She was an Andrew Dickson White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University. She received the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1989 ...

. The play focuses on three Jewish-American sisters and their lives. It "broke theatrical ground by concentrating on a non-traditional cast of three middle-aged women." Wasserstein received the

William Inge William Motter Inge (; May 3, 1913 – June 10, 1973) was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s he had a string of memorable Broad ...

Award for Distinguished Achievement in

American Theatre Theater in the United States is part of the old European theatrical tradition and has been heavily influenced by the British theater. The central hub of the American theater scene is Manhattan, with its divisions of Broadway, Off-Broadway, and ...

for this play.

Production history

The play first opened in April 1992 at the Seattle Repertory Theatre. 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 th ...

in a Lincoln Center Theater production at the Mitzi Newhouse Theater on October 22, 1992, and closed on February 28, 1993, after 149 performances. Directed by Daniel J. Sullivan, the cast included Jane Alexander and

Madeline Kahn Madeline Gail Kahn (''née'' Wolfson; September 29, 1942 – December 3, 1999) was an American actress, comedian and singer, known for comedic roles in films directed by Peter Bogdanovich and Mel Brooks, including '' What's Up, Doc?'' (1972), ' ...

. It transferred to Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on March 18, 1993, and closed on July 16, 1994, after 556 performances. Again directed by Sullivan, the Broadway cast remained the same as off-Broadway, except that Christine Estabrook took the role of "Pfeni" for Frances McDormand. Notable replacements include Linda Lavin as Gorgeous Teitelbaum and Michael Learned as Sara Goode. Original Broadway Cast *Sara Goode - Jane Alexander *Gorgeous Teitelbaum -

*Mervyn Kant - Robert Klein *Pfeni Rosensweig - Christine Estabrook *Nicholas Pym - John Cunningham *Tess Goode - Julie Dretzin *Tom Valiunus - Patrick Fitzgerald *Geoffrey Duncan - John Vickery

London production

It premiered at the Greenwich Theatre in 1994, where it was directed by Michael Blakemore and the sisters were played by Janet Suzman, Maureen Lipman, and Lynda Bellingham. The play transferred to the Old Vic in September 1994

Digital production

Released on May 20th, 2021, there was a livestreamed production of the play to benefit the

Actors' Fund The Entertainment Community Fund, formerly The Actors Fund, is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports performers and behind-the-scenes workers in performing arts and entertainment, helping more than 17,000 people directly each year. S ...

, the Theater Development Fund's Wendy Wasserstein Project, and the Steppenwolf Theater Company. Directed by

Anna D. Shapiro Anna Davida Shapiro (born March 10, 1966) is an American theater director, was the artistic director of the Steppenwolf Theater Company, and a professor at Northwestern University. Throughout her career, she has directed both the Steppenwolf The ...

, the Company's artistic director, it featured Lisa Edelstein, Kathryn Hahn, and Tracee Chimo Pallero as the three sisters. It also featured

Jason Alexander Jay Scott Greenspan (born September 23, 1959), known professionally as Jason Alexander, is an American actor, comedian, host and director. An Emmy and Tony winner, he is best known for his role as George Costanza in the television series '' ...

, Kathryn Newton and James Urbaniak.

Plot

Sara, who lives in London, is a representative for a major Hong Kong bank and is about to turn 54. Her sisters, Gorgeous Teitelbaum and Pfeni Rosensweig, arrive to help celebrate the birthday. Gorgeous is Dr. Gorgeous with a radio-advice program; Pfeni is a world traveler. Various friends and boyfriends also arrive for the party. In particular, Mervyn, a friend of Pfeni's boyfriend Geoffrey, falls instantly in love with Sara.

Concept

Wasserstein said that the play is "about being Jewish." She "wanted to write a play that celebrated the possibilities of a middle-aged woman who, unlike her other protagonists, does not end up alone."

Critical response

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 ...

'' review of the original production wrote that the play is: "... captivating look at three uncommon women and their quest for love, self-definition and fulfillment. But underlying the comedy is an empathetic concern for the characters and for the prospects of women today. At the same time, the play has its imperfections. There are gratuitous remarks and irrelevancies."

Awards and nominations

;

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newsp ...

Outer Critics Circle Award, 1992-1993
outercritics.org, accessed May 21, 2009 *Best Broadway Play (winner) *Best Actor (Play) Robert Klein (winner) *Best Actress (Play) Madeline Kahn (winner) *Best Actress (Play) Jane Alexander (nominee) *Best Director (Play) (winner) ;

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 ...

*Best Play (nominee) *Best Actress in a Play Madeline Kahn (winner) *Best Actress in a Play Jane Alexander (nominee) *Best Costume Design Jane Greenwood (nominee) *Best Direction of a Play (nominee) ;

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...

*Outstanding New Play (nominee) *Outstanding Actress in a Play Jane Alexander (winner) *Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play Robert Klein (nominee) *Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Madeline Kahn (winner) *Outstanding Director of a Play (nominee)

References

External links

Internet Broadway DatabaseInternet Off-Broadway Database listing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sisters Rosensweig Plays by Wendy Wasserstein 1993 plays Broadway plays