Seminal 1956 masterwork by John Osborne gets rare revival Off-Broadway.
February 13 - 29 at The Gene Frankel Theatre
Celtic Lion Productions will present a rare revival of LOOK BACK IN ANGER, John Osborne's searing portrayal of the savagery of the human heart. Called the "most vivid play of the decade" by the New York Times, the influence of Osborne's 1956 masterwork on generations of playwrights cannot be underestimated. It will be directed by Aimée Fortier who aims to highlight female characters that usually get downplayed and her youthful, age appropriate cast. Previews begin February 13 at The Gene Frankel Theatre. Opening is slated for Saturday, February 15.
LOOK BACK IN ANGER revolves around volatile malcontent Jimmy Porter, his long-suffering wife Alison, and the best friend who bears quiet witness to their tumultuous, deteriorating marriage. When one of Alison's friends comes to stay with them, the four fight each other, fall in and out of love, and release their pent-up rage towards the outside world. It is a searing look at class, sex, politics and the angry, alienated youth living on the margins.
"For me, LOOK BACK IN ANGER is about the pressure cooker of being in your twenties and having nowhere to put all of that confusion and feeling, entering a world as a young adult that is so clearly flawed, but having no tools or experience in it yet," notes director Aimée Fortier. "You get swept up by the overwhelming need to change the world, to right wrongs, while making horrible mistakes in your personal life, playing adult without being one while trying shake the older generation into action."
LOOK BACK IN ANGER stars Elizabeth Scopel, Ryan Welsh (whose grandfather was friends with playwright John Osborne), Carolina Aimetti, Tim Creavin and Stan Buturla. Produced by Joy Donze and Ryan Welsh, the production features design by Mary Marxen and stage management by Margaret Baughman.
Aimée Fortier is an artist from New Orleans, Louisiana. A lifelong actor, she directed and co-produced her first play, Denmark, for which she was featured in Forbes for being a first time actor-turned-director and hiring an all-female production team. She has since directed Danny at the Deep Blue Sea at Theatre Under Saint Marks and co-produced the films Year of the Phoenix and Where We Started. She attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, University of Oklahoma’s Musical Theatre program, and holds a degree in fiction writing from The New School. She is represented by Siren Song Entertainment.
John Osborne (1929 – 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter and actor, known for his excoriating prose and intense critical stance towards established social and political norms. The success of his 1956 play Look Back in Anger transformed English theatre. Osborne explored many themes and genres, writing for stage, film and TV. He was notorious for the ornate violence of his language, not only on behalf of the political causes he supported but also against his own family. His plays include The Entertainer, A Patriot For Me, The Hotel in Amsterdam, Inadmissible Evidence, Epitaph for George Dillon and a sequel to Look Bak In Anger, Déjàvu. Osborne was nominated for 4 Tony Awards, winning for Lutherin 1964. He also an Oscar for his 1963 screenplay adaptation of Tom Jones.
LOOK BACK IN ANGER runs February 13 - 29, Wednesday – Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm & 8pm and Sunday at 2pm. The Gene Frankel Theatre is located at 24 Bond Street, between Bowery and Lafayette -- accessible from B,D,F,M trains at Broadway/Lafayette or the #6 at Bleecker. Tickets are $35, available at brownpapertickets.com.