| The Heidi Chronicles | |
|---|---|
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| Written by | Wendy Wasserstein |
| Characters | Heidi Holland Peter Patrone Scoop Rosenbaum Susan Johnston Lisa Jill Fran |
| Date premiered | November 18, 1988 |
| Place premiered | Playwrights Horizons New York City, New York |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Drama |
| Setting | New York, Chicago, Manchester, New Hampshire, Ann Arbor, 1965–1989 |
The Heidi Chronicles is a 1988play byWendy Wasserstein.[1] The play won the 1989Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
A workshop production atSeattle Repertory Theatre was held in April 1988, directed byDaniel J. Sullivan,[2][3] starringLizbeth MacKay,Caroline Aaron, andGretchen Corbett.[4]
The play premieredOff-Broadway atPlaywrights Horizons on November 18, 1988 and closed on February 19, 1989 after 99 performances. It then transferred toBroadway at thePlymouth Theatre, opening on March 9, 1989 and closing on September 1, 1990, after 622 performances. Both productions were directed by Sullivan. The set design was by Thomas Lynch, costume design byJennifer von Mayrhauser and lighting design byPat Collins. The cast starredJoan Allen as Heidi,Boyd Gaines as Peter, andPeter Friedman as Scoop.Sarah Jessica Parker was featured in three small roles off-Broadway; those roles were played byCynthia Nixon for the Broadway run.
Replacement actors on Broadway includedChristine Lahti,Brooke Adams, andMary McDonnell as Heidi,David Hyde Pierce as Peter, andTony Shalhoub as Scoop.
Two Broadway Heidis married the actor who played opposite them as Scoop:Joan Allen andPeter Friedman (now divorced) andBrooke Adams andTony Shalhoub.
The first major production mounted after Wasserstein's death in January 2006 was at theBerkshire Theatre Festival in August and September 2006, featuring Kate Jennings Grant.[5]
On September 30, 2011, produced by The English Theatre of Rome and directed by Gaby Ford, the play premiered in Italy, at Rome's Teatro dell'Arciliuto near Piazza Navona, to wide acclaim.
A revival[6] began Broadway previews on February 23, 2015, at theMusic Box Theatre. The cast featuredElisabeth Moss in the title role,Bryce Pinkham as Peter Patrone andJason Biggs as Scoop Rosenbaum, directed byPam MacKinnon.[7] The play opened officially on March 19.[8][9] The production was originally scheduled to play through August 9, 2015 but closed on May 3 due to low ticket sales.[10][11]
The plot follows Heidi Holland from high school in the 1960s to her career as a successfulart historian more than twenty years later.
The play's main themes deal with the changing role of women during this time period, describing both Heidi's ardentfeminism during the 1970s and her eventual sense of betrayal during the 1980s.
Though most of the characters are women, there are two important male characters; Peter Patrone, agaypediatrician who is arguably Heidi's best friend, and Scoop Rosenbaum, a magazine editor who marries and has many affairs, and with whom Heidi has a tense friendship. Heidi meets Scoop at aEugene McCarthy rally where he tries to woo her with knowledge and wit. She seems unenthused, but she realizes Scoop is a very intelligent, attractive man despite his egotistical ways. Although their romantic relationship is unsuccessful, the chemistry between Scoop and Heidi is undeniable, and they become lifelong friends.
Heidi realizes that remaining unmarried does not mean she cannot be a mother, and she chooses to adopt a child on her own.
The New York Times criticMel Gussow wrote of the Playwrights Horizon production: "Ms. Wasserstein has always been a clever writer of comedy. This time she has been exceedingly watchful about not settling for easy laughter, and the result is a more penetrating play. This is not to suggest, however, thatThe Heidi Chronicles is ever lacking in humor."[12]
In 1995, the play was adapted as a television film. It was directed byPaul Bogart and starredJamie Lee Curtis andTom Hulce in the leading roles.
| Year | Award ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Pulitzer Prize for Drama | Won | ||
| Tony Award | Best Play | Won | ||
| Best Actress in a Play | Joan Allen | Nominated | ||
| Best Featured Actor in a Play | Boyd Gaines | Won | ||
| Best Featured Actress in a Play | Joanne Camp | Nominated | ||
| Best Scenic Design of a Play | Thomas Lynch | Nominated | ||
| Best Direction of a Play | Daniel J. Sullivan | Nominated | ||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding New Play | Won | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Play | Peter Friedman | Won | ||
| Outstanding Actress in a Play | Joan Allen | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Joanne Camp | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Director of a Play | Daniel J. Sullivan | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Set Design | Thomas Lynch | Nominated | ||
| New York Drama Critics' Circle | Best Play | Won | ||
| Year | Award ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Tony Award | Best Actress in a Play | Elisabeth Moss | Nominated |
