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''Awake and Sing!'' is a
drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
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 * P ...
written by American playwright
Clifford Odets Clifford Odets (July 18, 1906 – August 14, 1963) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and actor. In the mid-1930s, he was widely seen as the potential successor to Nobel Prize–winning playwright Eugene O'Neill, as O'Neill began to withd ...
. The play was initially produced by The Group Theatre in 1935.


Summary and characters

The play is set in
The Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...
of
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, New York, in 1933. It concerns the impoverished Berger family, who all live under one roof, and their conflicts as the parents scheme to manipulate their children's relationships to their own ends, while their children strive for their own dreams. The audience is introduced to a unique family. The matriarch of the family, Bessie, had high hopes and dreams for her family; however, despite her hopefulness, her largest fear is that her family will lose their home and all their possessions. This fear stems from a woman down the street who had this exact thing happen to her. The household consists of extended family such as Bessie's father, Jacob, her husband Myron, and their son Ralph, 21, and spinster daughter Hennie, 26. To top it all off, in order to ease the financial burden on the family, the Bergers have taken in Sam, an immigrant boarder. Besides the desire for financial stability, there are other problems that the Bergers face, such as Hennie's unwanted pregnancy. To avoid this burden on the family, Bessie insists on the marriage between Hennie and the new immigrant boarder in order to save her family's reputation and her daughter's life. Hennie has no love for Sam. The family has very different views on the arranged marriage between Hennie and Sam. For example, Ralph, a more philosophical character of the play, is not in agreement with his mother's decision. Ralph very much resembles his grandfather who is an idealist. The Berger house is therefore divided into idealists and realists, much like society as a whole. In a turn of events, Jacob commits suicide after making Ralph the beneficiary of his life insurance policy, in hopes that this will give Ralph the freedom for which he yearns. Themes Odets brings to the table the issues of the importance of appearances in relation to respectability in society - how we appear to society is how we improve and gain status - as well as the contrasting worlds of idealism and realism. Odets also presents the contrasting of materialistic ideals and the importance of money in society. Through his writing, he zooms in on the economic burden that is placed on society and how it affects the lives of humans and the way they live their lives. He also shows how values can become blurred and perceptions can change with experience.


Characters

* Myron Berger the father of the family * Bessie Berger his wife * Hennie Berger their daughter, age 26 * Ralph Berger their son, age 21 * Uncle Morty Bessie's brother, a successful businessman * Jacob father of Bessie and Morty; a Marxist; he lives with the Bergers * Moe Axelrod a friend of the family who eventually boards with the Bergers * Sam Feinschreiber an immigrant who courts Hennie * Schlosser the janitor in the Bergers' apartment building


Productions

The play premiered on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre on February 19, 1935, running for 184 performances before closing on July 27, 1935; it returned two months later on September 9 for an additional 24 performances through September 28, 1935. Directed by Harold Clurman, the cast starred Luther Adler (Moe Axelrod),
Stella Adler Stella Adler (February 10, 1901 – December 21, 1992) was an American actress and acting teacher. A member of Yiddish Theater's Adler dynasty, Adler began acting at a young age. She shifted to producing, directing, and teaching, founding the ...
(Bessie Berger), Morris Carnovsky (Jacob),
John Garfield John Garfield (born Jacob Julius Garfinkle; March 4, 1913 – May 21, 1952) was an American actor who played brooding, rebellious, working-class characters. He grew up in poverty in New York City. In the early 1930s, he became a member of ...
(Ralph Berger) and Sanford Meisner (Sam Feinschreiber). In January 1941, the play was the first production of Glasgow Unity Theatre. It was revived in 1961 at the Teatro Oficina, São Paulo, Brazil. It was revived
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 1970, 1979, 1993 and 1995. It was revived on Broadway in 1938, 1939, 1984 and 2006. A
Lincoln Center Theater The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Operated by the nonprofit Lincoln Center Theater (LCT ...
production on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre, opening on April 17, 2006, and closing on June 25, 2006, after 80 performances and 27 previews, won the
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
for Best Revival of a Play. Directed by Bartlett Sher, the cast featured Ben Gazzara (Jacob),
Zoë Wanamaker Zoë Wanamaker (born 13 May 1949) is an American-born British actress who has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. Wanamaker was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2001 by Qu ...
(Bessie),
Mark Ruffalo Mark Alan Ruffalo (; born November 22, 1967) is an American actor. He began acting in the late 1980s and first gained recognition for his work in Kenneth Lonergan's play ''This Is Our Youth'' (1996) and drama film ''You Can Count on Me'' (2000) ...
(Moe), Pablo Schreiber (Ralph) and
Lauren Ambrose Lauren Ambrose (born February 20, 1978) is an American actress. Ambrose gained recognition and critical acclaim for her starring role as Claire Fisher in the HBO drama series '' Six Feet Under'' (2001–2005), for which she was nominated for tw ...
(Hennie). Gazzara and Ruffalo repeated their roles (with Sher directing) in a 2010 L.A. Theatre Works recording of the play that also starred Jane Kaczmarek. Directed by Robert Hopkins and Norman Lloyd, ''Awake and Sing!'' premiered on
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
on March 6, 1972.TV Guide, North Carolina Edition, March 4–10, 1972, pg A-45 This film production of the play features Walter Matthau (Moe), Ruth Storey (Bessie), Felicia Farr (Hennie), Robert Lipton (Ralph), Leo Fuchs (Jacob),
Milton Selzer Milton Selzer (October 25, 1918 – October 21, 2006) was an American stage, film, and television actor. Early life Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, Selzer and his family moved to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where he was raised. After graduating fr ...
(Myron), Martin Ritt (Uncle Morty), Ron Rifkin (Sam) and John Myhers (Schlosser). It was produced at the
Oregon Shakespeare Festival The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a regional Repertory, repertory theatre in Ashland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1935 by Angus L. Bowmer. The Festival now offers matinee and evening performances of a wide range of classic and conte ...
in Ashland,
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
, in 1996. In 2006, Arena Stage in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, produced the show with director (and Arena's founding artistic director) Zelda Fichandler in a production featuring
Robert Prosky Robert Prosky (born Robert Joseph Porzuczek, December 13, 1930 – December 8, 2008) was an American actor. He became a well-known supporting actor in the 1980s with his roles in ''Thief (1981 film), Thief'' (1981), ''Christine (1983 film), Chris ...
as Jacob, and featuring the adoption of
Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
in the script that conforms to Odets's earlier version of the play, titled ''I Got the Blues''. Following its American success in revivals, the play was staged in London at the Off-West End
Almeida Theatre The Almeida Theatre is a 325-seat producing house located on Almeida Street off Upper Street in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre opened in 1980, and produces a diverse range of drama. Successful plays are often transferred to West E ...
from August 31, 2007, through October 20, 2007. Directed by Michael Attenborough, the cast featured
Stockard Channing Stockard Channing (born Susan Antonia Williams Stockard; February 13, 1944) is an American actress. List of awards and nominations received by Stockard Channing, Her accolades include three Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and a nomination for an Acade ...
as Bessie. The play opened in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
,
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, on June 6, 2009, for a two-month run at the
Soulpepper Theatre Company Soulpepper is a theatre company based in Toronto, Ontario.Keith Garebian"Soulpepper Theatre" ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'', November 4, 2010. History Soulpepper was founded in 1998 by twelve Toronto artists aiming to produce lesser-known theatri ...
. The National Asian American Theatre Company in New York produced the play from August to September 2013 at the
SoHo SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street, Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall ...
Walker Space. It won an
Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...
for Mia Katigbak as Bessie Berger. In 2015, The New York Public Theater with National Asian-American Theatre Company presented a production with a cast completely of Asian descent under the direction of Stephen Brown-Fried. It was led by Mia Katigbak and received a Drama League nomination for Outstanding Revival. It also played at The Public Theatre as part of National Asian American Theatre Company's 25th Anniversary. In 2014, a production at the Olney Theatre Center for the Arts in Olney, Maryland, was directed by Serge Seiden and featured Rick Foucheux as Jacob and Naomi Jacobsen as Bessie Berger. Also in 2014, a production at Boston's Huntington Theater Company was directed by Melia Bensussen. In 2019, Quintessence Theatre Group in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, presented a production starring Lawrence Pressman as Jacob. The production was nominated for two Barrymore Awards, including one for Pressman for Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Play.


Awards and nominations


Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cere ...
(2006)

*Best Revival of a Play (win) *Best Costume Design of a Play (win) *Best Lighting Design of a Play (nomination) *Best Scenic Design of a Play (nomination) *Best Direction of a Play (nomination) *Featured Actress – Zoe Wanamaker (nomination) *Featured Actor –
Mark Ruffalo Mark Alan Ruffalo (; born November 22, 1967) is an American actor. He began acting in the late 1980s and first gained recognition for his work in Kenneth Lonergan's play ''This Is Our Youth'' (1996) and drama film ''You Can Count on Me'' (2000) ...
(nomination) and Pablo Schreiber (nomination)


Drama Desk Awards (2006)

* Outstanding Revival of a Play (win) *Outstanding Set Design of a Play (win) *Outstanding Ensemble Performance (win) *Outstanding Lighting Design (nomination)


See also


References

*


Further reading

* *


External links

* *
archive


* ttp://shopix.250free.com/aas.html Photos of the Jewish Repertory Theatre's 2008 production of ''Awake and Sing''
Study guide for UK Almeida 2007 production
{{Navboxes , title = Awards for ''Awake and Sing!'' , list = {{DramaDesk PlayRevival 2001–2025 {{TonyAward PlayRevival 2001–2025 1935 plays The Bronx in fiction Broadway plays Drama Desk Award–winning plays Off-Broadway plays Plays by Clifford Odets Plays set in New York City Tony Award–winning plays West End plays Plays adapted into television shows