Sexual Perversity in Chicago
Encyclopedia
Sexual Perversity in Chicago is a play written by David Mamet
that examines the sex lives of two men and two women in the 1970's. The play is filled with profanity and regional jargon
that reflects the working-class language of Chicago
. The characters' relationships become hindered by the caustic nature of their words, as much of the dialogue includes insults and arguments. The play presents “intimate relationships [as] minefields of buried fears and misunderstandings”.
Bernard Litko - Dan's friend and associate
Deborah Soloman - A woman in her late twenties
Joan Webber - Deborah's friend and roommate
Scene - Various spots around the North Side of Chicago, a Big City on a Lake.
Time - Approximately nine weeks one summer.
Danny and Bernie balance their mundane office jobs with sexual banter, particularly their experiences and preferences in the bedroom. Likewise, Joan and Deborah frequently discuss the shortcomings of men while at their apartment.
The main plot point is Danny and Deborah's relationship, perpetuating much of the dialogue about men and women. Their romance is quickly established by sexual attraction, but as the play progresses and Deborah moves into Danny's apartment, they are unable to talk with each other seriously. Danny complains in frustration, “Everything's fine. Sex, talk, life, everything. Until you want to get “closer,” to get “better.” Do you know what the fuck you want?” Eventually, the couple breaks up while Danny and Bernie revert to their usual talk about “broads” and what is wrong with the world.
Joan says,
in Plainfield, Vermont
by the members of St. Nicholas Theater. The production was directed by Mamet.
The play was subsequently performed by Organic Theater Company
in Chicago in June 1974, in a production directed by Stuart Gordon
. The cast included Warren Casey
. In December 1975, the play was mounted off-off Broadway at the St. Clements Theatre in New York
. An off-Broadway
production directed by Albert Takazauckas opened on a double bill with the playwright
's The Duck Variations
on June 16 1976 at the Cherry Lane Theatre
in Greenwich Village
and ran for 273 performances. The cast included F. Murray Abraham
and Peter Riegert
. Subsequent cast members included Jeff Zinn.
In 1986, it was adapted as the film About Last Night... with Demi Moore
playing opposite Rob Lowe
, and James Belushi
paired with Elizabeth Perkins
. The title change resulted from many newspapers refusing to advertise a movie with the original title. Mamet disavowed the movie, ruefully recalling that "as a callow youth with hay sticking out of my ears, I sold both the play and the screenplay for about $12 and a mess of porridge
...."
made his stage debut in a West End
production co-starring Minnie Driver
, Hank Azaria
, and Kelly Reilly.
David Mamet
David Alan Mamet is an American playwright, essayist, screenwriter and film director.Best known as a playwright, Mamet won a Pulitzer Prize and received a Tony nomination for Glengarry Glen Ross . He also received a Tony nomination for Speed-the-Plow . As a screenwriter, he received Oscar...
that examines the sex lives of two men and two women in the 1970's. The play is filled with profanity and regional jargon
Jargon
Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, group, or event. The philosophe Condillac observed in 1782 that "Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas." As a rationalist member of the Enlightenment he...
that reflects the working-class language of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The characters' relationships become hindered by the caustic nature of their words, as much of the dialogue includes insults and arguments. The play presents “intimate relationships [as] minefields of buried fears and misunderstandings”.
Characters and Plot
Dan Shapiro - An urban male in his late twentiesBernard Litko - Dan's friend and associate
Deborah Soloman - A woman in her late twenties
Joan Webber - Deborah's friend and roommate
Scene - Various spots around the North Side of Chicago, a Big City on a Lake.
Time - Approximately nine weeks one summer.
Danny and Bernie balance their mundane office jobs with sexual banter, particularly their experiences and preferences in the bedroom. Likewise, Joan and Deborah frequently discuss the shortcomings of men while at their apartment.
The main plot point is Danny and Deborah's relationship, perpetuating much of the dialogue about men and women. Their romance is quickly established by sexual attraction, but as the play progresses and Deborah moves into Danny's apartment, they are unable to talk with each other seriously. Danny complains in frustration, “Everything's fine. Sex, talk, life, everything. Until you want to get “closer,” to get “better.” Do you know what the fuck you want?” Eventually, the couple breaks up while Danny and Bernie revert to their usual talk about “broads” and what is wrong with the world.
Joan says,
“I don't know anything, Deborah, I swear to god, the older I get the less I know. (pause) It's a puzzle. Our efforts at coming to grips with ourselves...in an attempt to become 'more human' (which, in itself, is an interesting concept). It has to do with an increased ability to recognize clues...and the control of energy in the form of lust...and desire (And also in the form of hope)...
But a finite puzzle. Whose true solution lies, perhaps, in transcending the rules themselves... (pause) ...and pounding of the fucking pieces into places where they DO NOT FIT AT ALL.”
Production history
Sexual Perversity in Chicago was first produced at Goddard CollegeGoddard College
Goddard College is a private, liberal arts college located in Plainfield, Vermont, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Goddard College currently operates on an intensive low-residency model...
in Plainfield, Vermont
Plainfield, Vermont
Plainfield is a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,286 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Plainfield is located at ....
by the members of St. Nicholas Theater. The production was directed by Mamet.
- William H. MacyWilliam H. MacyWilliam Hall Macy, Jr. is an American actor and writer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo. He is also a teacher and director in theater, film and television. His film career has been built mostly on his appearances in small, independent films, though...
- Steven SchachterSteven SchachterSteven Schachter is an American television, theatre, and film director and screenwriter.Much of Schachter's success stems from projects on which he has collaborated with William H. Macy...
- Alison Zucker
- Mary Tibbetts
- Madeleine Dammers
- Peter Vincent
The play was subsequently performed by Organic Theater Company
Organic Theater Company
Organic Theater Company, a Chicago theatre, was founded in the 1970s by artistic director Stuart Gordon. The theater company was incorporated in 1972...
in Chicago in June 1974, in a production directed by Stuart Gordon
Stuart Gordon
After the University of Wisconsin demanded future theatrical productions by Screw Theater be overseen by a University Professor, Gordon cut his University ties to form Broom Street Theater. Its first production, the new translation of the risque Lysistrata, premiered in May 1969. Gordon is...
. The cast included Warren Casey
Warren Casey
Warren Casey was an American theatre composer, lyricist, writer, and actor. He is best known for being the writer and composer, with Jim Jacobs of the stage and film musical Grease.-Career:...
. In December 1975, the play was mounted off-off Broadway at the St. Clements Theatre in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. An off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
production directed by Albert Takazauckas opened on a double bill with the playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
's The Duck Variations
The Duck Variations
The Duck Variations is a 1972 play by American playwright David Mamet. The play depicts a discussion taking place between two elderly men sitting on a park bench watching ducks. The dialogue begins with the mating habits of ducks and runs to examine law, friendship and death. The principal irony is...
on June 16 1976 at the Cherry Lane Theatre
Cherry Lane Theatre
The Cherry Lane Theatre , located at 38 Commerce Street in the borough of Manhattan, was New York City's oldest, continuously running off-Broadway theater...
in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
and ran for 273 performances. The cast included F. Murray Abraham
F. Murray Abraham
Fahrid Murray Abraham is an American actor. He became known during the 1980s after winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus. He has appeared in many roles, both leading and supporting, in films such as All the President's Men and Scarface...
and Peter Riegert
Peter Riegert
Peter Riegert is an American actor, screenwriter, and film director, best known for his role as Boon from Animal House and crooked New Jersey State Assemblyman Ronald Zellman on the HBO original series The Sopranos.-Early life:...
. Subsequent cast members included Jeff Zinn.
In 1986, it was adapted as the film About Last Night... with Demi Moore
Demi Moore
Demi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
playing opposite Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., St. Elmo's Fire, and Wayne's World. On television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert...
, and James Belushi
James Belushi
James Adam "Jim" Belushi is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is the younger brother of comic actor John Belushi.-Early life:Belushi was born in Chicago...
paired with Elizabeth Perkins
Elizabeth Perkins
Elizabeth Ann Perkins is an American actress. Her film roles have included Big, The Flintstones, Miracle on 34th Street, About Last Night..., and Avalon...
. The title change resulted from many newspapers refusing to advertise a movie with the original title. Mamet disavowed the movie, ruefully recalling that "as a callow youth with hay sticking out of my ears, I sold both the play and the screenplay for about $12 and a mess of porridge
Mess of pottage
The phrase mess of pottage means something of little value, with a pottage being a type of soup. Though it can appear in general use, it is usually associated with the exchange by Esau of his birthright for a meal of lentil stew, as described in Genesis 25:29–34 in the Bible...
...."
West End Theatre
In 2003, Matthew PerryMatthew Perry (actor)
Matthew Langford Perry is a Canadian-American actor and comedian, best known for his Emmy-nominated role as Chandler Bing on the popular, long-running NBC television sitcom Friends...
made his stage debut in a West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production co-starring Minnie Driver
Minnie Driver
Minnie Driver is an English actress and singer-songwriter. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1997 film Good Will Hunting, as well as for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for her work in the television series The Riches.- Early life...
, Hank Azaria
Hank Azaria
Henry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
, and Kelly Reilly.
Činoherní klub
- Directed by Ondřej Sokol. The play had premiere 18th March 2004 in The Drama ClubThe Drama ClubThe Drama Club was a five-piece alternative rock group from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States.-History:The band idea and initial concept began in circa 2005 when lead singer and primary composer Nick Coyle, formerly of the rock band Lifer , moved back to Pennsylvania after singing for the...
, Prague. - Bernard Litko .... Jaromír Dulava
- Joan Weber .... Ivana Chýlková
- Dan Shapiro .... Marek Taclík
- Deborah Solomon .... Lucie Pernetová