cover art by David Saint
“Wild. Weird. Wacky. And
rather wonderful. That's DARLENE AND THE GUEST LECTURER. A R
Gurney's new pair of one-acters. For the past fifteen years,
Gurney has been a strong presence in the American theater. He's
incisively exposed the feeling lurking beneath the stolid WASP
exterior in such plays as THE DINING ROOM and THE COCKTAIL HOUR.
He's shown he can write tenderly, too, in LOVE LETTERS, which
details a friendship from childhood to death. He also
demonstrated that he could be Neil Simon-funny in SYLVIA, in
which a dog comes between a man and wife.
Here, though, Gurney has gone out on a comic and dramatic
limb—but one from which an adventurous theatergoer can enjoy the
view.
DARLENE takes place in the suburban home of Angela and Jim, who
are mulling over a letter that was stuck under their car's
windshield wiper. Jim is shocked by the explicit language and
sexual innuendo, but Angela is titillated. She eventually admits
that she wishes the letter had come from him. The extent of Jim's
horniness, though, can be found in his horn-rimmed glasses.
The play is a more civilized WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?,
mixed with a dash of Pinter's THE LOVER in which a husband and
wife can only have sex if they pretend they're other people. But
this view of two-empty-nesters who must admit to an empty
marriage is as poignant as it is atypical.
THE GUEST LECTURER, though, is where Gurney really lets his
imagination soar. A regional theater that once had the resources
to pay two dozen actors in YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU now finds
that even the two-character THE GIN GAME is beyond its means. So
it goes back to the bare bones that theater once was: a singular
speaker, Hartley, who will lecture on drama.
...a nifty Twilight Zone-like subplot.”
Peter Filichia, The Star-Ledger
“...good satire—as A R
Gurney's plays are proving—can make for a rip-roaring good
time....
DARLENE is an engrossing little play due to the provocative
premise, the skillful writing....
...the riotous proceedings of THE GUEST LECTURER.”
Charles Paolino, Home News Tribune
“There
are a number of reasons why millions of Americans go out weekly to sit in narrow
rows or uncomfortable seats. One of the reasons is A R Gurney. These two plays
show us again how he has become so successful by tapping into today's American
psyche.”
Gretrchen C Van Benthuysen, Asbury Park Press
originally produced by The George Street Playhouse, New Brunswick NJ
2 M, 1 F, plus 1 piano player who can be either
I S B N: 0-88145-163-0: $8.95
THE GUEST LECTURER is also available in STRICTLY ACADEMIC