| The Subject Was Roses | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Written by | Frank D. Gilroy |
| Characters | John Cleary Nettie Cleary Timmy Cleary |
| Date premiered | May 25, 1964 |
| Place premiered | Royale Theatre New York City, New York |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Drama |
| Setting | the Clearys' apartment, 1946 |
The Subject Was Roses is aPulitzer Prize-winning 1964 play written byFrank D. Gilroy, who also adapted the work in 1968 for a film with the same title.
Timmy Cleary returns home from his service during World War II. While he seems to vindicate himself in his father's eyes for surviving the war, his drinking and cursing disturb his mother. Though his parents, John and Nettie, seem to be happy, the peace proves to be a façade. Soon old emotional wounds and unresolved marital problems resurface. Caught in the middle, Timmy feels responsible for their squabbling, but can see no way to resolve their problems.
The play premiered onBroadway at theRoyale Theatre on May 25, 1964, starringJack Albertson,Irene Dailey, andMartin Sheen, and directed byUlu Grosbard. A major critical and commercial success, the play ran 832 performances and was nominated for fiveTony Awards, winning two: Best Play and Best Featured Actor (Albertson). For his work in the play, Gilroy won the year'sPulitzer Prize for Drama.Columbia Records recorded the complete play in a recording studio with the original cast members and released it as a double-LP set.
In the published script, Gilroy included a day-by-day journal he titled,About Those Roses or How 'Not' To Do a Play and Succeed. According to the journal, "The Subject Was Roses opened on Broadway with a producer who had never produced a Broadway play; a director who had never directed one; a scenic artist who had never designed one; a general manager who had never managed one; and three actors who were virtually unknown."[citation needed] Additionally, the play openedafter all of the award deadlines, so it was not eligible until the following year, triumphing overNeil Simon'sThe Odd Couple,Murray Schisgal'sLuv andEdward Albee'sTiny Alice for the Tony Award, theNew York Drama Critics' Circle Award and thePulitzer Prize for Drama. During the play's two-year run,The Subject Was Roses played five different Broadway theaters andDustin Hoffman became a replacement stage manager and understudied the role of Timmy.
In 1991, theRoundabout Theatre Company revived the play in New York City withJohn Mahoney,Dana Ivey andPatrick Dempsey. A 2006 revival of the play was produced byJeffrey Finn at theKennedy Center starringBill Pullman,Judith Ivey, and Steve Kazee. All three performers were nominated for 2007Helen Hayes Awards. In a 2009 revival in Los Angeles, Martin Sheen again appeared, this time in the role of the father.[1]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Pulitzer Prize | Drama | Frank D. Gilroy | Won | [2] |
| Tony Awards | Best Play | Frank D. Gilroy andEdgar Lansbury | Won | [3] | |
| Best Featured Actor in a Play | Jack Albertson | Won | |||
| Martin Sheen | Nominated | ||||
| Best Direction of a Play | Ulu Grosbard | Nominated | |||
| Best Author (Play) | Frank D. Gilroy | Nominated |
