''I Won't Dance'' is a 1981 comedic play written by
Oliver Hailey
Oliver Hailey (July 7, 1932January 23, 1993) was an American screenwriter and playwright. Hailey's television writing credits include episodes of ''Bracken's World'' and ''McMillan & Wife''. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for writin ...
. The play follows a
paraplegic
Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek ()
"half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neura ...
man named Dom in the aftermath of the murders of his brother and sister-in-law.
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 Stre ...
and opened at the Helen Hayes Theatre
The Hayes Theater (formerly the Little Theatre, New York Times Hall, Winthrop Ames Theatre, and Helen Hayes Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 240 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. N ...
on May 10, 1981. The Broadway production was directed by Tom O'Horgan
Tom O'Horgan (May 3, 1924 – January 11, 2009) was an American theater and film director, composer, actor and musician. He is best known for his Broadway work as director of the hit musicals ''Hair'' and ''Jesus Christ Superstar''. During his c ...
, and starred David Selby
David Lynn Selby (born February 5, 1941) is an American film, television, and stage actor and writer. He is best known for playing Quentin Collins on the daytime soap ''Dark Shadows'' (1968–1971) and Richard Channing on the prime-time s ...
as Dom, Gail Strickland
Gail Strickland (born May 18, 1945)Maurice, Dick (July 27, 1975)"Celebrities on the Couch – Interview: Gail Strickland" ''The St. Tammany News-Banner''. p. 4. Retrieved February 27, 2025. is a retired American actress who had prominent s ...
as Lil, and Arlene Golonka
Arlene Leanore Golonka (January 23, 1936 – May 31, 2021) was an American actress. She is known for playing Millie Hutchins on the television comedy ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and Millie Swanson on '' Mayberry R.F.D.'', and often portrayed ...
as Kay.San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
in 1987.[ Another revival by the Rivoli Stage Company played at the Williams Center in ]Rutherford, New Jersey
Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 18,834, an increase of 773 (+4.3%) from the 2010 census count of 18,061, which in turn reflected a de ...
, in 1991.Theatre and disability
Theatre and disability is a subject focusing on the Inclusion (disability rights), inclusion of disability within a theatrical experience, enabling cultural and aesthetic diversity in the arts. Showing disabled bodies on stage can be to some exten ...
has grown as a movement and portrayal of characters like these characters is subject to greater scrutiny, as disabled actors are more commonly authentically cast, reclaiming disabled stories, bringing authenticity, subtext and postmodern
Postmodernism encompasses a variety of artistic, cultural, and philosophical movements that claim to mark a break from modernism. They have in common the conviction that it is no longer possible to rely upon previous ways of depicting the wo ...
perspective of disability in performance.
References
1981 plays
Broadway plays
Plays and musicals about disability
{{1980s-play-stub
Fictional characters with disabilities