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Big Fish, Little Fish (play)

March 07, 2023

Big Fish, Little Fish is a comedy in three acts by playwright Hugh Wheeler. The story concerns a former college professor, disgraced by a sex scandal, who now works in a minor post at a publishing company. The play explores his relationships with his parasitic group of friends and treats issues of homosexuality, guilt and friendship. The work was Wheeler's first play, and afterwards he turned to playwriting full-time.[1]

After an out-of-town tryout in Philadelphia beginning on February 27, 1961,[2] the piece premiered on March 15 at ANTA Playhouse on Broadway in New York City.[3] The production was directed by John Gielgud. It ran for 101 performances, closing on July 10, 1961.[4] The production did not make money at the box office,[5] but despite only mixed to warm reviews, it won two Tony awards, for Best Director and Best Featured Actor, and was nominated for two more. A London production the following year was a failure, closing within two weeks. The piece has rarely been revived, but it was adapted for television in 1971.

Big Fish, Little Fish was one of the first Broadway plays to explore frankly the issue of homosexuality,[6] and Gielgud ignored advice to tone down the "implicit queerness".[7] Hume Cronyn kept a diary of the original production. He reported that, during rehearsals, the cast and creative team engaged in long discussions about the homosexuality theme. He commented that attempts to "prejudge audience or critical reaction" could lead to a "safe but regretful" production. Cronyn praised Gielgud's process and his abilities as a "director-analyst". He also praised the talent, creativity and generosity of Wheeler and of the other actors in the cast.[2]

Cast

Plot

The setting is William Baker's New York apartment in the East 30s. The time is the present (1961).[3]

William has worked in a minor position in a publishing firm for more than two decades. Before that he was a rising academic, the youngest full professor at a prestigious university. He was forced out of the post after a scandal: a young female student broke into his room and committed suicide, leaving a note claiming that William seduced and then abandoned her. William's denials were not believed.[8]

His middle-aged circle of friends, who all have emotional demands on him, are: Edith, a married woman with whom he sometimes sleeps; Jimmie, a schoolmaster with cultural aspirations and a crush on William;[9] Basil, a retired publisher and lonely cat-lover; Hilda, a minor executive who aspires to be racy; and Viola, a former lover of William's, who is not seen but rings him frequently, usually when drunk.[10] William is kind and sweet to his friends, but it is not clear how much he depends emotionally on being a big fish in a small pond.[11]

William's friends bicker with one another and sometimes with him, but the group is generally stable until the arrival of Ronnie, an ambitious young author.[12] He has been asked to find someone to fill an unexpected senior vacancy in a publishing company in Geneva, and he successfully seeks to interest William in the post. Most of William's friends resist, then accept with sadness, the prospect of his departure for Europe, but Basil is devastated and suffers a fatal heart attack from the shock.[13]

Shortly before his departure for Geneva, in conversation with Jimmie, William confesses that he was not the victim of an injustice at the university: the student's accusation was true. She was the daughter of a trustee who could secure William a position as president of the college. William proposed marriage and then left the girl in the lurch, causing her to kill herself. William has been working in a lowly position ever since as a form of penance and expiation.[14]

The Swiss appointment falls through at the last minute.[15] William nevertheless announces his intention to go to Europe on holiday, hosting a farewell party where he expresses his unhappiness with his friends. It is left ambiguous as to whether he will return to resume his place at the center of his New York circle. The play ends with him once more soothing Viola over the phone.[16]

Critical reception

Reviewing the premiere for The New York Times, Howard Taubman wrote, "There is a softness at the core of the play because there is a disquieting elusiveness about the central character. If you can believe in him, and Jason Robards Jr. makes a brilliant effort to turn him into a credible human being, you may find the essential story deeply moving. But if you can't, the work goes soggy. … Mr. Wheeler has not always steered a straight, clear course. But he writes of strange relationships with an integrity that is occasionally beguiling."[17] The New York correspondent of The Times praised the virtuosity of the cast and director, and said of the play, "Still, good parts require to be written, and Mr. Wheeler, hitherto known only as a writer of detective novels ... has written them. And yet these characters are, in a sense, set adrift by their intense devotion to the less interesting character played by Mr. Robards and by their old isolation from the rest of the world."[18] In Theatre Journal, John Gassner shared his view that the central role was not the strong point of the play, but he praised both Wheeler and Cronyn for their sensitive and honest treatment of Jimmie's hidden homosexuality.[19]

Later productions

The play opened at the Duke of York's Theatre in London's West End on 18 September 1962, directed by Frith Banbury, with Hume Cronyn as Jimmie, Thomas Coley as William, Frank Pettingell as Basil, Frederick Jaeger as Ronnie, Carl Jaffé as Paul, Jessica Tandy as Edith and Viola Lyel as Hilda. The production closed less than two weeks later, on 29 September 1962.[20]

A television version was broadcast in the US in January 1971, with William Windom, Louis Gossett Jr. and Bill Bixby leading the cast.[21] An Off-Off-Broadway production ran in 1974.[22]

Awards

The production won two Tony awards for the Broadway production, Gabel as Featured Actor, and Gielgud as Director, and was nominated for two more, Cronyn as Best Actor, and Grizzard as Featured Actor.[4][23]

Notes

  1. ^ Hampton, Wilborn. Obituary: "Hugh Wheeler, Award Winning Playwright", The New York Times, July 28, 1987, retrieved March 14, 2014
  2. ^ a b Cronyn, Hume. "Dear Diary", Theatre Arts Magazine, July 1961, reproduced in Senelick, pp. 74–82
  3. ^ a b Wheeler, unnumbered introductory page
  4. ^ a b "Big Fish, Little Fish", Internet Broadway Database, retrieved 14 March 2014
  5. ^ Bordman, p. 375
  6. ^ Senelick, p. 74
  7. ^ Croall, p. 463
  8. ^ Wheeler, p. 48
  9. ^ Wheeler, pp. 3–5
  10. ^ Wheeler, p. 13
  11. ^ Wheeler, p. 5
  12. ^ Wheeler, p. 33
  13. ^ Wheeler, p. 100
  14. ^ Wheeler, p. 105
  15. ^ Wheeler, p. 109
  16. ^ Wheeler, p. 115
  17. ^ Taubman, Howard. "The Theatre: Odd Circle; Robards and Cronyn in Big Fish, Little Fish", The New York Times, 16 March 1961, p. 42 (subscription required)
  18. ^ "Not so dramatic on Broadway", The Times, 1 May 1961, p. 16
  19. ^ Gassner, John. "Broadway in Review", Theatre Journal, Vol. 13, No. 2 (May 1961), p. 106 (subscription required)
  20. ^ "Theatres", The Times, 29 September 1962, p. 2; and 1 October 1962, p. 2
  21. ^ Gussow, Mel. "Big Fish, Little Fish returns", The New York Times, 6 January 1971, p. 75 (subscription required)
  22. ^ Thompson, Howard. "Mainstream Drama Runs In Big Fish, Little Fish", The New York Times, 18 September 1974, p. 32 (subscription required)
  23. ^ "Big Fish, Little Fish" 2016-08-31 at the Wayback Machine, Tony Awards, retrieved March 14, 2014

References

  • Bordman, Gerald (1996). American Theatre: A Chronicle of Comedy and Drama, 1930–1969. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195358087.
  • Croall, Jonathan (2011). John Gielgud: Matinee Idol to Movie Star. A & C Black. ISBN 978-1408131077.
  • Senelick, Laurence (2013). Theatre Arts on Acting. Routledge theatre classics. ISBN 978-1134723751.
  • Wheeler, Hugh (1961). Big Fish, Little Fish – A New Comedy. London: Rupert Hart-Davis. OCLC 11219792.

External links

March 07, 2023
fish, little, fish, play, fish, little, fish, comedy, three, acts, playwright, hugh, wheeler, story, concerns, former, college, professor, disgraced, scandal, works, minor, post, publishing, company, play, explores, relationships, with, parasitic, group, frien. Big Fish Little Fish is a comedy in three acts by playwright Hugh Wheeler The story concerns a former college professor disgraced by a sex scandal who now works in a minor post at a publishing company The play explores his relationships with his parasitic group of friends and treats issues of homosexuality guilt and friendship The work was Wheeler s first play and afterwards he turned to playwriting full time 1 Martin Gabel Jason Robards and Hume Cronyn in Act I After an out of town tryout in Philadelphia beginning on February 27 1961 2 the piece premiered on March 15 at ANTA Playhouse on Broadway in New York City 3 The production was directed by John Gielgud It ran for 101 performances closing on July 10 1961 4 The production did not make money at the box office 5 but despite only mixed to warm reviews it won two Tony awards for Best Director and Best Featured Actor and was nominated for two more A London production the following year was a failure closing within two weeks The piece has rarely been revived but it was adapted for television in 1971 Big Fish Little Fish was one of the first Broadway plays to explore frankly the issue of homosexuality 6 and Gielgud ignored advice to tone down the implicit queerness 7 Hume Cronyn kept a diary of the original production He reported that during rehearsals the cast and creative team engaged in long discussions about the homosexuality theme He commented that attempts to prejudge audience or critical reaction could lead to a safe but regretful production Cronyn praised Gielgud s process and his abilities as a director analyst He also praised the talent creativity and generosity of Wheeler and of the other actors in the cast 2 Contents 1 Cast 2 Plot 3 Critical reception 4 Later productions 5 Awards 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksCast EditJimmie Luton Hume Cronyn William Baker Jason Robards Basil Smythe Martin Gabel Ronnie Johnson George Grizzard Paul Stumpfig George Voskovec Edith Maitland Ruth White Hilda Rose Elizabeth WilsonPlot EditThe setting is William Baker s New York apartment in the East 30s The time is the present 1961 3 William has worked in a minor position in a publishing firm for more than two decades Before that he was a rising academic the youngest full professor at a prestigious university He was forced out of the post after a scandal a young female student broke into his room and committed suicide leaving a note claiming that William seduced and then abandoned her William s denials were not believed 8 His middle aged circle of friends who all have emotional demands on him are Edith a married woman with whom he sometimes sleeps Jimmie a schoolmaster with cultural aspirations and a crush on William 9 Basil a retired publisher and lonely cat lover Hilda a minor executive who aspires to be racy and Viola a former lover of William s who is not seen but rings him frequently usually when drunk 10 William is kind and sweet to his friends but it is not clear how much he depends emotionally on being a big fish in a small pond 11 William s friends bicker with one another and sometimes with him but the group is generally stable until the arrival of Ronnie an ambitious young author 12 He has been asked to find someone to fill an unexpected senior vacancy in a publishing company in Geneva and he successfully seeks to interest William in the post Most of William s friends resist then accept with sadness the prospect of his departure for Europe but Basil is devastated and suffers a fatal heart attack from the shock 13 Shortly before his departure for Geneva in conversation with Jimmie William confesses that he was not the victim of an injustice at the university the student s accusation was true She was the daughter of a trustee who could secure William a position as president of the college William proposed marriage and then left the girl in the lurch causing her to kill herself William has been working in a lowly position ever since as a form of penance and expiation 14 The Swiss appointment falls through at the last minute 15 William nevertheless announces his intention to go to Europe on holiday hosting a farewell party where he expresses his unhappiness with his friends It is left ambiguous as to whether he will return to resume his place at the center of his New York circle The play ends with him once more soothing Viola over the phone 16 Critical reception EditReviewing the premiere for The New York Times Howard Taubman wrote There is a softness at the core of the play because there is a disquieting elusiveness about the central character If you can believe in him and Jason Robards Jr makes a brilliant effort to turn him into a credible human being you may find the essential story deeply moving But if you can t the work goes soggy Mr Wheeler has not always steered a straight clear course But he writes of strange relationships with an integrity that is occasionally beguiling 17 The New York correspondent of The Times praised the virtuosity of the cast and director and said of the play Still good parts require to be written and Mr Wheeler hitherto known only as a writer of detective novels has written them And yet these characters are in a sense set adrift by their intense devotion to the less interesting character played by Mr Robards and by their old isolation from the rest of the world 18 In Theatre Journal John Gassner shared his view that the central role was not the strong point of the play but he praised both Wheeler and Cronyn for their sensitive and honest treatment of Jimmie s hidden homosexuality 19 Later productions EditThe play opened at the Duke of York s Theatre in London s West End on 18 September 1962 directed by Frith Banbury with Hume Cronyn as Jimmie Thomas Coley as William Frank Pettingell as Basil Frederick Jaeger as Ronnie Carl Jaffe as Paul Jessica Tandy as Edith and Viola Lyel as Hilda The production closed less than two weeks later on 29 September 1962 20 A television version was broadcast in the US in January 1971 with William Windom Louis Gossett Jr and Bill Bixby leading the cast 21 An Off Off Broadway production ran in 1974 22 Awards EditThe production won two Tony awards for the Broadway production Gabel as Featured Actor and Gielgud as Director and was nominated for two more Cronyn as Best Actor and Grizzard as Featured Actor 4 23 Notes Edit Hampton Wilborn Obituary Hugh Wheeler Award Winning Playwright The New York Times July 28 1987 retrieved March 14 2014 a b Cronyn Hume Dear Diary Theatre Arts Magazine July 1961 reproduced in Senelick pp 74 82 a b Wheeler unnumbered introductory page a b Big Fish Little Fish Internet Broadway Database retrieved 14 March 2014 Bordman p 375 Senelick p 74 Croall p 463 Wheeler p 48 Wheeler pp 3 5 Wheeler p 13 Wheeler p 5 Wheeler p 33 Wheeler p 100 Wheeler p 105 Wheeler p 109 Wheeler p 115 Taubman Howard The Theatre Odd Circle Robards and Cronyn in Big Fish Little Fish The New York Times 16 March 1961 p 42 subscription required Not so dramatic on Broadway The Times 1 May 1961 p 16 Gassner John Broadway in Review Theatre Journal Vol 13 No 2 May 1961 p 106 subscription required Theatres The Times 29 September 1962 p 2 and 1 October 1962 p 2 Gussow Mel Big Fish Little Fish returns The New York Times 6 January 1971 p 75 subscription required Thompson Howard Mainstream Drama Runs In Big Fish Little Fish The New York Times 18 September 1974 p 32 subscription required Big Fish Little Fish Archived 2016 08 31 at the Wayback Machine Tony Awards retrieved March 14 2014References EditBordman Gerald 1996 American Theatre A Chronicle of Comedy and Drama 1930 1969 Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0195358087 Croall Jonathan 2011 John Gielgud Matinee Idol to Movie Star A amp C Black ISBN 978 1408131077 Senelick Laurence 2013 Theatre Arts on Acting Routledge theatre classics ISBN 978 1134723751 Wheeler Hugh 1961 Big Fish Little Fish A New Comedy London Rupert Hart Davis OCLC 11219792 External links Edit Big Fish Little Fish at the Playbill Vault archive at Playbill Vault Big Fish Little Fish at the Internet Broadway Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Big Fish Little Fish play amp oldid 1124604242, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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