What is the John Gassner award?

[sskeats]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 12:46pm

I see Intimate Apparel has won Outer Critics best off-broadway play...and the playwright herself has won the John Gassner Award. Who knows the background on that one and what does it mean?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 12:48pm

It's been around for decades -- meant to honor a new play by a, preferably, new playwright. Named after the theatre scholar, historian and critic John Gassner.

[sskeats]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 1:48pm

Thanks Margo,

Why do I keep wanting to associate the name with best plays of the year anthologies like the ones Burns Mantle use to put out?

So it's like most promising rookie award?

Intimate Apparel is very well crafted. Not a fledgling script.

[mominator]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 2:16pm

This was a wonderful play!. Myhusband and I were lucky enough to get $20 rush seats for a Sunday show, and we were so glad we did!

[sskeats]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 2:36pm

I paid full price for Intimate Apparel and it was worth it. I'd like to go again with friends. Do you think there's still a chance to get some rush seats for $20 bucks?

[mominator]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 2:42pm

We were walking passed the theater, on Sunday around 1:00. We were also ready to pay full price as well. The vendor said that will be $20 each since it is rush seating! WE were doing the happy dance all day! So you can call andcheck on it, I certainly would!
Good Luck!
Barbara

[sskeats]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 3:01pm

Barbara,

Wasn't Viola Davis phenomenal? One of the great performances in the last 5 years.
Wow!

Interested in seeing if the perfomance has grown. I saw it opening week.

[mominator]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 5:01pm

The show was so moving! Ms.Davis was wonderful. I am having trouble finding the words. I hope this play will have a good run and word of mouth will keep the house filled! I hope Ms. Davis will get the recognition she deserves!
Barbara

[sskeats]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 5:24pm

I hope Viola Davis takes the Drama Desk award. The lady has the power of a Kim Stanley or a Geraldine Page. The Drama Desk nominating committee, for some strange reason didn't nominate Intimate Apparel itself. A strange oversight imho. After winning the American Theatre Critics Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the JohnGassner Award and a Pen Award for Nottage (which puts her in the company of Tony Kushner, Craig Lucas, Suzanne Lori-Parks, Richard Greenberg, Paula Vogel etc., Intimate Apparel should have at least had a nomination, if not the win.

I also thought Davis should have won over Eileen Atkins in the Outer Critics. But that's what makes ballgames. I guess we both feel very fortunate that we had the opportunity to catch this very moving play. Our luck.

[mominator]

Posted: 5/3/04 at 6:27pm

Hopefuly others will catch this thread and go see this one. I am hoping for a long run so we can see it again, this time with our 15 year old daughter. She has seen Wicked & Mamma Mia. She'll be seeing Gypsy w/ her chorus and if she makes Honor Roll I'll be sitting through Boy From Oz

[sskeats]

Posted: 5/4/04 at 12:20pm

I hope they extend Intimate Apparel. I have some friends coming in from Cleveland for the summer who I think would adore this show. I believe the show is now scheduled to close first week in June. I don't know whether something new is coming in to that theatre and the show would have to move. Or whether Viola Davis has another committment. My expectations are that they will extend.But if you haven't seen it, better get going. It only has a month more in its run. Grand serious theatre.