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Director: Laura W. Andruski Producer: Eugene Kosarovich Assistant Director/Stage Manager: Joel Lord |
| About The Good Doctor |
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"The Good Doctor" served as Neil Simon's tribute to Anton Chekhov, arguably one of the greatest writers in Russian history. The play is broken up with the adaptations of some of Chekhov's stories, with the common thread of a character called The Writer tying everything together. The stories are droll, the portaits affectionate, the humor infectious, and the fun unending. Originally produced on Broadway in 1973, "The Good Doctor" cast included Christopher Plummer, Rene Auberjonois, Barnard Hughes, Frances Sternhagen, and Marsha Mason. |
| Director's Notes |
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Anton Chekhov and Neil Simon. Not exactly a pairing that immediately strikes one as inspired. After all, one is a 19th Century Russian who laid bare humanity's deepest yearnings and foibles in poignant dramatic plays, while the other is a 20th Century American who exposed the follies and neuroses of modern urban life in tightly crafted, one-liner-littered comedic plays. Joined together, they seem less natural peers in world theatre and more like the hapless heroes in a Simon masterwork: The Odd Couple. And yet the two share a bond from when they were young writers: comedic sketches. When he was in his 20s, Chekhov devoted much of his literary energies to penning short humorous work, in the form of stories, sketches, and one-act farces for the stage. Simon also spent his 20s writing short comedic pieces, his in the form of television sketches for Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows and episodes for a Phil Silvers' sitcom. Given that, it was not so odd for Simon to write The Good Doctor, a work of 11 sketches based on the early comedic work of Chekhov. Simon's efforts, first staged in 1973, strive to be true to the spirit of the originals while flavoring them with his own trademark hilarity. Better known for his later autobiographical works like Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues and Broadway Bound, Simon's The Good Doctor is nevertheless an important cornerstone of his career. To quote the playwright, "It was a pastiche for me, an enjoyable interlude before going on to bigger things. It was a joyous experience for me." Likewise, my experience directing this work at RPI has brought me great joy. The cast and crew are talented and marvelously supportive. We have had a great time working together and are proud to present our play to you. May it bring you great joy as well." |
| Scenes & Roles |
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"The Writer" - A struggling writer introduces himself and tries to explain his passion for writing.
"The Sneeze" - A clerk fears demotion after sneezing on his boss' head.
"The Governess" - A governess and her mistress settle their accounts.
"Surgery" - An inexperienced dental assistant attempts his first tooth examination.
"Too Late for Happiness" (a musical interlude) - A bittersweet love duet between an elderly couple.
"The Seduction" - A crafty seducer goes to work on a wedded woman, only to realize that the woman has been in command from the first overture.
"The Drowned Man" - The classic tale of a man who offers to drown himself for three rubles.
"The Audition" - A small-town girl auditions for a Moscow (i.e. Broadway) play.
"A Defenseless Creature" - An obnoxious peasant woman storms a bank and upbraids the manager for his gout and lack of money.
"A Quiet War" - Two retired crew officers, one Army and one Navy, "battle" over lunch.
"The Arrangement" - A father takes his son to a house where he will be initiated into the mysteries of sex, only to relent at the last moment and leave the boy more perplexed than ever.
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