Superior Donuts
Encyclopedia
Superior Donuts is a play
by American
playwright
Tracy Letts
. Its world premiere was staged by the Steppenwolf Theatre Company
in Chicago
in 2008, and it premiered on Broadway
in 2009.
, and Franco, his energetic but troubled young African American
assistant who wants to update the establishment with lively music and healthy menu options. Dialogue scenes are separated by soliloquy
s in which Arthur discusses his past and reminisces about the city as it was in his younger years.
, was performed at the Downstairs Theatre in Chicago by the Steppenwolf Theatre Company between June 19 and August 24, 2008.
Again directed by Landau and with the Steppenwolf cast intact, the Broadway production began previews at the Music Box Theatre
on September 16, 2009 and officially opened on October 1, with Michael McKean
as Arthur Przybyszewski and Jon Michael Hill
as Franco. Also in the cast were Yasen Peyankov as Russian appliance dealer Max Tarasov, James Vincent Meredith as local beat cop James Hailey, Jane Alderman as wise-crazy alcoholic Lady Boyle, Kate Buddeke as Randy Osteen (a cop who takes a liking to Arthur), Cliff Chamberlain as thug Kevin MaGee, Michael Garvey as surprise visitor Kiril Ivakina, and Robert Maffia as loan shark
Luther Flynn. The show closed on January 3, 2010.
Despite its limited run on Broadway, Superior Donuts is slated to be produced by many regional theatres in the 2010-2011 season. Pittsburgh Public Theater
, Arden Theatre Company (Philadelphia)
, Denver Center Theatre Company, The Studio Theatre (in Washington, DC), San Diego Repertory Theatre
, TheatreWorks
(California) and Mad Cow Theatre
(Florida), Artists Repertory Theatre
(Portland, OR) are all producing Superior Donuts in 2010-2011. The Lyric Stage Company of Boston and Sacramento's Capital Stage will be producing Superior Donuts in their 2011-2012 season.
Directed by Kate Powers, the play was performed in May 2011 for an audience of prisoners and community guests by a cast of prisoners who participate in Rehabilitation Through the Arts at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. The Sing Sing cast was visited in rehearsal by Michael McKean, who shared his insight as Arthur Przybyszewski.
In reviewing the Broadway production, Isherwood called Superior Donuts "a gentle comedy that unfolds like an extended episode of a 1970s sitcom
" and "a warm bath of a play that will leave Broadway audiences with satisfied smiles rather than rattled nerves." He felt if the play "possesses the nostalgic appeal of a classic sitcom, it is also hampered by some of the genre’s standard flaws. A subplot about Franco’s gambling debts feels contrived, like one of those dubious byways cooked up by writers in the later seasons of a series, when inspiration flags and the characters’ interactions have begun to go stale. The ancillary characters... might have come straight from the Sidekicks, Neighbors and Friends rack, although the excellent actors imbue them all with a sharp specificity. The relationship at the heart of the play, between Arthur and Franco, is also not without its formulaic aspects. Mr. Letts’s depiction of this budding cross-racial, cross-generational friendship feels a little retrograde, as both Arthur and Franco reveal dimensions that confound each other but help ease the awkwardness between them... But Mr. Letts treads gently, underplaying the surrogate-son aspect of their dynamic."
In 2010, Jon Michael Hill was nominated for a Male Supporting Actor Tony for his work in this play.
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
Tracy Letts
Tracy Letts
Tracy Letts is an American playwright and actor who received the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play August: Osage County.-Biography:...
. Its world premiere was staged by the Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Tony Award-winning Chicago theatre company founded in 1974 by Gary Sinise, Terry Kinney and Jeff Perry in the basement of a church in Highland Park, Illinois. It has since relocated to Chicago's Halsted Street, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Its name comes from...
in 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...
in 2008, and it premiered on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 2009.
Synopsis
The play focuses on the relationship between despondent Arthur Przybyszewski, a former 1960s radical who owns a rundown donut shop in Uptown, ChicagoUptown, Chicago
Uptown is one of Chicago’s 77 community areas. Uptown has well defined boundaries. They are: Foster on the north; Lake Michigan on the east; Montrose , and Irving Park on the south; Ravenswood , and Clark on the west. Uptown borders three community areas and Lake Michigan...
, and Franco, his energetic but troubled young African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
assistant who wants to update the establishment with lively music and healthy menu options. Dialogue scenes are separated by soliloquy
Soliloquy
A soliloquy is a device often used in drama whereby a character relates his or her thoughts and feelings to him/herself and to the audience without addressing any of the other characters, and is delivered often when they are alone or think they are alone. Soliloquy is distinct from monologue and...
s in which Arthur discusses his past and reminisces about the city as it was in his younger years.
Production history
The play, directed by Tina LandauTina Landau
Tina Landau is an American playwright and theatre director.Born in New York City to film and television producers Edie and Ely Landau, Landau moved with her family to Beverly Hills, California, where she graduated from Beverly Hills High School before attending Yale University, where she directed...
, was performed at the Downstairs Theatre in Chicago by the Steppenwolf Theatre Company between June 19 and August 24, 2008.
Again directed by Landau and with the Steppenwolf cast intact, the Broadway production began previews at the Music Box Theatre
Music Box Theatre
The Music Box Theater is a Broadway theatre located at 239 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan.The once most aptly named theater on Broadway, the intimate Music Box was designed by architect C. Howard Crane and constructed by composer Irving Berlin and producer Sam H. Harris specifically to...
on September 16, 2009 and officially opened on October 1, with Michael McKean
Michael McKean
Michael John McKean is an American actor, comedian, writer, composer and musician, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Squiggy's friend, Leonard 'Lenny' Kosnowski, on the sitcom Laverne and Shirley; and for his work in the Christopher Guest ensemble films, particularly as David St...
as Arthur Przybyszewski and Jon Michael Hill
Jon Michael Hill
Jon Michael Hill is an American actor. He currently co-stars as Det. Damon Washington in the ABC police drama, Detroit 1-8-7.-Career:Hill was born in Waukegan, Illinois. During his high school years, he played football and the saxophone before focusing on pursuing an acting career, attending a...
as Franco. Also in the cast were Yasen Peyankov as Russian appliance dealer Max Tarasov, James Vincent Meredith as local beat cop James Hailey, Jane Alderman as wise-crazy alcoholic Lady Boyle, Kate Buddeke as Randy Osteen (a cop who takes a liking to Arthur), Cliff Chamberlain as thug Kevin MaGee, Michael Garvey as surprise visitor Kiril Ivakina, and Robert Maffia as loan shark
Loan shark
A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence....
Luther Flynn. The show closed on January 3, 2010.
Despite its limited run on Broadway, Superior Donuts is slated to be produced by many regional theatres in the 2010-2011 season. Pittsburgh Public Theater
Pittsburgh Public Theater
Pittsburgh Public Theater is a professional theater company based in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Cultural District.Established in 1974, it was housed in the Hazlett Theatre at the Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall on Pittsburgh’s North Side...
, Arden Theatre Company (Philadelphia)
Arden Theatre Company (Philadelphia)
-Introduction:The Arden Theatre Company is a full-service professional regional theatre located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, offering the highest quality theatrical and educational productions and programs to artists, audiences and students of the greater Philadelphia region. The company includes...
, Denver Center Theatre Company, The Studio Theatre (in Washington, DC), San Diego Repertory Theatre
San Diego Repertory Theatre
The San Diego Repertory Theatre was developed out of Indian Magique, a street theater group of actors/writers/directors/producers who were fellow theatre graduates from USIU. Founded initially in 1975 by Sam Woodhouse, Christopher R, John Lee and others, they met in the loft of the old Spreckels...
, TheatreWorks
TheatreWorks
TheatreWorks may refer to:*TheatreWorks *TheatreWorks *TheatreWorks *Theatreworks *Theatreworks *Theatreworks USA*TheaterWorks...
(California) and Mad Cow Theatre
Mad Cow Theatre
Mad Cow Theatrebegan in late 1997 as a simple two-show project between a group of actors/directors in a former blueprint studio in Maitland, Florida...
(Florida), Artists Repertory Theatre
Artists Repertory Theatre
Artists Repertory Theatre is a critically acclaimed professional non-profit theatre located in Portland, Oregon. The company was established in 1982 and focuses on presenting the works of contemporary playwrights, including many world premieres...
(Portland, OR) are all producing Superior Donuts in 2010-2011. The Lyric Stage Company of Boston and Sacramento's Capital Stage will be producing Superior Donuts in their 2011-2012 season.
Directed by Kate Powers, the play was performed in May 2011 for an audience of prisoners and community guests by a cast of prisoners who participate in Rehabilitation Through the Arts at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. The Sing Sing cast was visited in rehearsal by Michael McKean, who shared his insight as Arthur Przybyszewski.
Critical reception
In his review of the original Chicago production, Charles Isherwood of the New York Times said the play "has a lot in common with the deep-fried breakfast food of the title. It’s insubstantial and sweet, with virtually no nutritional value. Still, minor though this comedy is, it is also hard to dislike. Who doesn’t hanker for a doughnut now and then?"In reviewing the Broadway production, Isherwood called Superior Donuts "a gentle comedy that unfolds like an extended episode of a 1970s sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
" and "a warm bath of a play that will leave Broadway audiences with satisfied smiles rather than rattled nerves." He felt if the play "possesses the nostalgic appeal of a classic sitcom, it is also hampered by some of the genre’s standard flaws. A subplot about Franco’s gambling debts feels contrived, like one of those dubious byways cooked up by writers in the later seasons of a series, when inspiration flags and the characters’ interactions have begun to go stale. The ancillary characters... might have come straight from the Sidekicks, Neighbors and Friends rack, although the excellent actors imbue them all with a sharp specificity. The relationship at the heart of the play, between Arthur and Franco, is also not without its formulaic aspects. Mr. Letts’s depiction of this budding cross-racial, cross-generational friendship feels a little retrograde, as both Arthur and Franco reveal dimensions that confound each other but help ease the awkwardness between them... But Mr. Letts treads gently, underplaying the surrogate-son aspect of their dynamic."
In 2010, Jon Michael Hill was nominated for a Male Supporting Actor Tony for his work in this play.