The Assembled Parties

The Assembled Parties is a play written by Richard Greenberg. It relates the story of a Jewish family living on the Upper West Side of New York City over a twenty-year period, from 1980 to 2000. The play, which premiered on Broadway in 2013, received three Tony Award nominations, including for Best Play.

Production

The play opened on Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in a Manhattan Theatre Club production on April 17, 2013 after previews from March 21, 2013. Directed by Lynne Meadow the play features Judith Light as Faye, Jessica Hecht as Julie, Jonathan Walker as Ben and Mark Blum as Mort. The sets are by Santo Loquasto and costumes by Jane Greenwood.[1]

The play, a limited run, had extended for a second time to July 7, 2013,[2]and then for a final time, to July 28, 2013.[3] When the play closed on July 28, it had run for 119 performances and 28 previews.[4]

Synopsis

In 1980, the Bascov family gets together to celebrate Christmas. They are Jewish but do not observe their religion. They gather at the large and luxurious Upper West Side (New York) apartment of Julie, a former teen movie star and her wealthy husband Ben. Also present are their sons Scotty, recently graduated from college and young Timmy, sick with the flu. Ben's sister Faye, her husband Mort and their daughter, Shelley, arrive. Jeff, a school friend of Scotty, is a visitor.

20 years later, in 2000, the family meets again at Christmas at Julie's apartment. However, now Ben, Mort, and Scotty are dead, and Shelley is estranged. Those present are Julie, who has a fatal illness; Faye, now no longer taking medications; and Jeff, returned from a successful law job in Chicago. Tim (no longer Timmy) comes and goes; he has been forced to leave college and works at a restaurant.

Critical response

Ben Brantley, in his review in The New York Times, called the play "charming", writing " It is also smart, sad and so impossibly well-spoken you may feel like giving up on conversation.... is an elegy to a breed of woman, a style of living and a genre of theater of which only vestiges remain in frantic, self-promoting New York."[5] The USA Today reviewer called the play "endearing", writing "By the time Act Two unfolds -- 20 years later, in the same apartment -- we have learned that these folks are all vulnerable to bad choices, the whims of fortune and the simple passing of time."[6]

The play received three Tony Award nominations: Best Play, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play (Judith Light) and Best Scenic Design of a Play (Santo Loquasto).[7] The play received Drama Desk Award nominations for Outstanding Play, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play (Judith Light), Outstanding Director of a Play, and Outstanding Set Design.[8]

Awards and nominations

The production was recognized with Drama League Award nominations for Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play and with two Distinguished Performance Award nominations but did not win.[9] The production received one Outer Critics Circle Award nomination.[10] The play earned four 58th Drama Desk Award nominations and one win for Judith Light as Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play.[11] The play received three Tony Awards nominations for the 67th Tony Awards, again winning Featured Actress in a Play.[12]

Original Broadway production
Year Award Category Nominee Result
2013 Drama League Award Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play Nominated
Distinguished Performance Award Jessica Hecht Nominated
Judith Light Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Judith Light Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Play Nominated
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Judith Light Won
Outstanding Director of a Play Lynne Meadow Nominated
Outstanding Set Design Santo Loquasto Nominated
Tony Award
(67th)		 Best Play Nominated
Featured Actress in a Play Judith Light Won
Scenic Design Santo Loquasto Nominated
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References
  1. Gioia, Michael and Jones, Kenneth. "World Premiere of Richard Greenberg Family Drama 'The Assembled Parties' Opens on Broadway April 17" Archived 2013-05-07 at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, April 17, 2013
  2. Purcell, Carey. "'The Assembled Parties', With Judith Light and Jessica Hecht, Extends Broadway Run For Second Time" Archived 2013-06-05 at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, May 15, 2013
  3. Purcell, Carey. " 'The Assembled Parties', With Tony Winner Judith Light and Jessica Hecht, Extends Broadway Run for Final Time" Archived 2013-06-15 at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, June 11, 2013
  4. Purcell, Carey. " 'The Assembled Parties', With Tony Winner Judith Light and Jessica Hecht, Closes on Broadway July 28" Archived 2013-08-05 at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, July 28, 2013
  5. Brantley, Ben. "The Assembled Parties, at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater" New York Times, April 17, 2013
  6. "The Verdict: Critics Review The Assembled Parties With Judith Light and Jessica Hecht, page 3" playbill.com, April 18, 2013
  7. Gans, Andrew. "Nominations Announced for 67th Annual Tony Awards; Kinky Boots Earns 13 Nominations" Archived 2013-10-21 at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, April 30, 2013
  8. Gans, Andrew. Nominations Announced for 58th Annual Drama Desk Awards; Giant and Hands on a Hardbody Lead the Pack" Archived 2013-05-01 at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, April 29, 2013
  9. Gans, Andrew (May 17, 2013). "'Kinky Boots', 'Pippin', 'Vanya and Sonia', 'Virginia 'Woolf? and More Win Drama League Awards". Playbill. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  10. Gans, Andrew (May 13, 2013). "Pippin Is Big Winner of 2012-13 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  11. Hetrick, Adam (2013-05-19). "Billy Porter, Andrea Martin, Pippin, Matilda, Vanya and Sonia Win Drama Desk Awards". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2013-06-05. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  12. Purcell, Carey (2013-06-09). "Kinky Boots, Vanya and Sonia, Pippin and Virginia Woolf? Are Big Winners at 67th Annual Tony Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
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