Christopher Durang Dead at 75

[Kad]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 9:27am

Per the NYTimes:

Christopher Durang, a Tony Award-winning playwright and a master satirist, died Tuesday night at his home in Pipersville, Pa., in Bucks County. He was 75.

His agent, Patrick Herold, said the cause was complications of aphasia. In 2016, Mr. Durang was found to have a rare form of dementia, logopenic primary progressive aphasia. The diagnosis was made public in 2022.

Updated On: 4/3/24 at 09:27 AM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 9:29am

Ugh, what a shame. Dementia is perhaps the cruelest way for a creative person to go.

A great playwright, and I'm glad he finally got his flowers with VANYA & SONIA. It'll make LCT's benefit performance of it in May even more poignant.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 11:34am

To think of that mind being felled by dementia hurts more than the actual death announcement. 

He was the most important playwright in my development as an actor and this is just too gutting. 

[Menken Fan]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 12:21pm

What a shame to lose such a talent.  LOVED his shows - Sister Mary Ignatius, Baby With The Bathwater, Laughing Wild, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, Beyond Therapy, and so many more. One of the funniest things I've ever seen is "Wanda's Visit", which was originally written for the PBS series Trying Times. The terrific cast also included Swoosie Kurtz, Jeff Daniels, Julie Hagerty and Christopher as The Waiter. Do yourself a 27-minute favor and check it out if you haven't seen it.

The Visit on YouTube

Updated On: 4/3/24 at 12:21 PM

[Skip23]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 12:26pm

I’ve never laughed so much as I did at BETTY’S SUMMER VACATION. A singular, brilliant talent. RIP. 

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 12:39pm

He wrote a short play spoof on The Glass Menagerie called For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls that is so stupid and wonderful. 

[Kad]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 12:41pm

SonofRobbieJ said: "He wrote a short play spoof on The Glass Menagerie called For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls that is so stupid and wonderful."

Oh god yes- with the menagerie swapped out for glass swizzle sticks. It’s ludicrous but I can now never think about it whenever I see another production of Menagerie.  

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 12:53pm

I got to work on it in college (I got to work on A LOT of Durang in college...he was second to Stoppard in terms of living playwrights with whom we were obsessed). I really was a fetching Lawrence. The explanation for why the feminine caller referred to him at 'Blue Roses' still f*cking kills me. 

[berniesb!tch]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 3:13pm

One time in college my playwrighting teacher compared my play to Christopher Durang and I consider it to be one of the highest compliments I've ever gotten.  He was truly singular. A comedic force. He will be greatly missed!

[UWS10023]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 4:58pm

One of my favorites! I am sure he will spice things up in the afterlife. RIP

[verywellthensigh]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 8:00pm

How incredibly sad.  His angry/hilarious plays like Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You and Baby With the Bathwater were so ahead of their time.  When I first saw South Park, the first thing I thought was "This reminds me of Durang". 

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/4/24 at 12:00am

SonofRobbieJ said: "He wrote a short play spoof on The Glass Menagerie called For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls that is so stupid and wonderful."

He also wrote a Streetcar parody called Desire, Desire, Desire. It’s been a long time since I’ve read it, but I remember Stanley constantly throwing beers in Blanche's face, Big Daddy coming in looking for peanut brittle, and at the end Harvey the Rabbit shows up and Blanche makes a comment about how it must have been a lean year when that play won the Pulitzer.

Sending best wishes to his husband, John Augustine. Dementia is not an easy way to go, and is equally hard on those closest to the sufferer.