When first reading this play, what stands out to most is it's humor, funny jokes and current events. But under all that there is a still a heart. About people loving one another, getting married, losing a loved one and what it means to love some else. This play is a farce set off with a basic daughter comes home and yells "Im getting married". This then sets off the talk of marriage and what that means, not only for a man and a woman, but also same sex couples in America.
It is a simple question with a very difficult answer for some, should gay Americans be allowed to get married? With so much in this world and current events, why is this subject being discussed and will this play change anyone's mind on the subject.
In act 2, it is the idea that all gay people taking the day off would back fire with the world losing so much that is valued, becuase gay Americans are tired of being treated as second class citizens and denyied rights that married couples obtain when it is legal. Is it right or wrong? Or should gay Americas deal with the fact that the goverment is basically telling us that we should not even think about the notion of being in love with someone and getting benefits of others in marriage.
At the end of the play the audience should go away not being talked down too, but rather questioning what they think about the subject and why they think whatever they do. I think this play does a good job in making humor on top of a very touching subject, which makes it easier to take and understand.
A big issue with this show is that the costumes and fashion tell a story as well. It tells what kind of people they are and how they fit in society. It is hard to make high fashion with a budget. And the set should show class, wealth and old money. This is another issue for the production team and how will we make this happen? This show however can be done beautifully and still send out a message not to change your outlook but try to walk a mile in someone elses shoes for bit, and ask the question "why cant those shoes be fabulous as well".
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Educator's Packet
--The basic facts of the script
"Regrets Only"
Paul Rudnick
English
2007
Comedy, Satire, Farce/50 Pages/2 Acts
Dramatists
Royalty Fee(s): 75 Dollars per performance
Cast Breakdown: 2 Men, 4 Women
Time and Setting: New york, Ny, (Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side Manhatthan), The Present
--An introduction to the plot and its characters
About The Show:
The plot is set in the motion one momentous evening in a lavish Upper East Side apartment. Socialite Tibby McCullough is preparing to go out with her best friend, legendary gay designer Hank Hadley, whose companion of nearly 40 years has recently died. Tibby's daughter Spencer, an ambitious lawyer, comes home and announces her engagement; minutes later, her father Jack, a wildly rich, liberal New York lawyer, gets a call from the President of the United States to help craft a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage. When Tibby and Spencer support Jack's decision to go to Washington, Hank decides to take action -- in a very unusual way.
The play is a miraculous marriage of caricature and character. Rudnick has managed to create six comically extreme people -- including Myra, the McCullough's Jewish maid, and Tibby's shallow mother, Marietta -- who also exhibit genuine human emotions. While the quips fly fast and furiously, Rudnick so effectively plots the piece that the jokes serve a thematic point. Tibby, who's essentially a silly society wife, is eventually given stature. Jack is humbled but not broken; rather, he is educated. Even Spencer and Marietta have their epiphanies.
Rudnick has written a smart play with a several rich conflicts waiting to explode. The only question for the audience is whether he will find a way to tie all of his points and plot strands together before the final blackout -- and the answer is a resounding yes. His major plot twist is no more realistic than his comically overdrawn characters, but that's the brilliance of the piece; the characters and the plot are in perfect balance.
Cast:
Mrya Kesselman- Female, 45-55, white, Jewish. The maid of the McCullough family, has been employed by the family for years.
Hank Hadley- Male, 50-60, white. Famous fashion designer, Tibby's best friend.
Tibby McCullough- Female, 50-60, white. Wife of Jack, Mother of Spencer. Best friend of Hank
Jack McCullough-Male, 50-60, white. Husband of Tibby, Father of Spencer. High powered lawyer in New York.
Spencer McCullough- 25-27, white. Daughter of Tibby and Jack. She is a lawyer. She is getting married.
Marietta Claypoole-70-80, White. Mother of Tibby and Grandmother of Spencer. She is a rich woman.
--An introduction to the author
Brief Bio of Author-
PAUL RUDNICK (Playwright) plays have been produced both on and off Broadway and around the world. Currently his play The New Century is being staged at Lincoln Center Theatre and his most recent work before was Regrets Only at Manhattan Theatre Club, starring Christine Baranski and George Grizzard. His other plays include Valhalla, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, I Hate Hamlet and Jeffrey, for which he won an Obie, an Outer Critics Circle Award and the John Gassner Playwrighting Award. His novels are Social Disease and I'll Take It, both published by Knopf. His articles and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, Esquire, Vogue, Vanity Fair and The New York Times. His is rumored to be quite close to Premiere Magazine's film critic, Libby Gelman-Waxner, whose collected columns have been published under the title If You Ask Me. His screenplays include Addams Family Values, the screen adaptation of Jeffrey and In & Out.
--A brief production history with excerpts from reviews
Have a Play Full of Zingers? You Know Whom to Cast
By BEN BRANTLEY
New York Times
Published: November 20, 2006
The temptation for anyone writing about “Regrets Only,” which doubles as a comedy of Park Avenue manners and (far less persuasively) a tract on gay marriage, is to quote as many of those one-liners as space allows and then to try to describe just how Ms. Baranski delivers them.
But if I did that, there wouldn’t be much incentive for thrifty readers to attend this production, would there? They would be able to enliven cocktail parties by reciting Mr. Rudnick’s best jokes without having paid to see “Regrets Only.” And the Manhattan Theater Club, having gotten off to a rocky start this season with the reviled “Losing Louie” on Broadway, could use a hit comedy.
Hank is a wildly successful, gentlemanly designer with a passing resemblance to a real designer who was also wildly successful and gentlemanly and had an alliterative name: Bill Blass, who died in 2002. (Having known Mr. Blass, I can say with some authority that the parallels, like much of “Regrets Only,” are strictly on the surface.)
A hitherto apolitical animal, Hank — whose lover of many years died only months before the play begins — finds himself stirred to righteousness when a member of his intimate social set, a big-time lawyer named Jack McCullough (David Rasche), agrees to consult with President Bush on the drafting of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
What makes the situation especially thorny is that Jack is married to Hank’s closest confidante, Tibby, a professional partygoer and perfectly groomed clotheshorse. (The alarmingly productive William Ivey Long did the sociologically accurate costumes.) Tibby is played by Ms. Baranski, in a long-overdue return to the New York stage.
Anyway, Jack’s involvement with this proposed amendment forces Hank and Tibby to rethink what defines a marriage and, for that matter, a friendship.
Others join the debate: Myra (Jackie Hoffman), the McCulloughs’ madcap maid, who keeps interjecting her opinions in different foreign accents, with accessories to match; Marietta Claypoole (a regally funny Sian Phillips), Tibby’s madcap, much-married mother; and Spencer (Diane Davis), Tibby and Jack’s only mildly madcap daughter, who is about to be married for the first time.
Much madcap merriment — but with a message — ensues when Hank decides to prove that it’s gay people who make the McCulloughs’ world go round. Though Hank’s means of making his point have already been disclosed in advance feature articles in magazines and newspapers (including this one), I am not going to describe it. That would spoil the minimal surprise of the high concept (well, knee-high concept) that shapes the second act.
But too often “Regrets Only” has the unconvincing air of someone yelling, “Save the geese!” while feasting on foie gras. And when people aren’t merely being witty, the play sags.
As accomplished as the cast is, only Ms. Baranski strides the divide between comic intoxication and emotional sobriety. As she proved on the sitcom “Cybill,” she is a master of the deflating putdown. But as in her earlier stage work, she finds the complexity beneath her character’s ostensible silliness.
Tibby’s shiny stylishness never quite conceals the abiding lack of confidence of a girl who grew up with an overpowering, luxury-addicted mother. (When she was anorexic, she says, her mother told her: “Good for you! Keep going!” Yes, I know I promised not to do that. I’m sorry.)
Anyone who has spent time in Park Avenue dining rooms will probably have met someone much like Tibby, as Ms. Baranski portrays her: a woman who, despite a life devoted principally to clothes and menus, is too smart, too damaged and too valiant to be dismissed.
http://theater2.nytimes.com/2006/11/20/theater/reviews/20regr.html
Classroom Exercise (University only)
A list of basic legal facts that come with being married in America.
A list of social changes in America since President Bush has been elected.
Why do we think this is important?
5 Questions for the classroom.
What did you think after viewing this production?
What do you think of gay marriage?
What do you think of the current goverment in America?
Do you think gay marriage would hurt American Society?
How would America change if gay marriage was allowed?
"Regrets Only"
Paul Rudnick
English
2007
Comedy, Satire, Farce/50 Pages/2 Acts
Dramatists
Royalty Fee(s): 75 Dollars per performance
Cast Breakdown: 2 Men, 4 Women
Time and Setting: New york, Ny, (Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side Manhatthan), The Present
--An introduction to the plot and its characters
About The Show:
The plot is set in the motion one momentous evening in a lavish Upper East Side apartment. Socialite Tibby McCullough is preparing to go out with her best friend, legendary gay designer Hank Hadley, whose companion of nearly 40 years has recently died. Tibby's daughter Spencer, an ambitious lawyer, comes home and announces her engagement; minutes later, her father Jack, a wildly rich, liberal New York lawyer, gets a call from the President of the United States to help craft a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage. When Tibby and Spencer support Jack's decision to go to Washington, Hank decides to take action -- in a very unusual way.
The play is a miraculous marriage of caricature and character. Rudnick has managed to create six comically extreme people -- including Myra, the McCullough's Jewish maid, and Tibby's shallow mother, Marietta -- who also exhibit genuine human emotions. While the quips fly fast and furiously, Rudnick so effectively plots the piece that the jokes serve a thematic point. Tibby, who's essentially a silly society wife, is eventually given stature. Jack is humbled but not broken; rather, he is educated. Even Spencer and Marietta have their epiphanies.
Rudnick has written a smart play with a several rich conflicts waiting to explode. The only question for the audience is whether he will find a way to tie all of his points and plot strands together before the final blackout -- and the answer is a resounding yes. His major plot twist is no more realistic than his comically overdrawn characters, but that's the brilliance of the piece; the characters and the plot are in perfect balance.
Cast:
Mrya Kesselman- Female, 45-55, white, Jewish. The maid of the McCullough family, has been employed by the family for years.
Hank Hadley- Male, 50-60, white. Famous fashion designer, Tibby's best friend.
Tibby McCullough- Female, 50-60, white. Wife of Jack, Mother of Spencer. Best friend of Hank
Jack McCullough-Male, 50-60, white. Husband of Tibby, Father of Spencer. High powered lawyer in New York.
Spencer McCullough- 25-27, white. Daughter of Tibby and Jack. She is a lawyer. She is getting married.
Marietta Claypoole-70-80, White. Mother of Tibby and Grandmother of Spencer. She is a rich woman.
--An introduction to the author
Brief Bio of Author-
PAUL RUDNICK (Playwright) plays have been produced both on and off Broadway and around the world. Currently his play The New Century is being staged at Lincoln Center Theatre and his most recent work before was Regrets Only at Manhattan Theatre Club, starring Christine Baranski and George Grizzard. His other plays include Valhalla, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, I Hate Hamlet and Jeffrey, for which he won an Obie, an Outer Critics Circle Award and the John Gassner Playwrighting Award. His novels are Social Disease and I'll Take It, both published by Knopf. His articles and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, Esquire, Vogue, Vanity Fair and The New York Times. His is rumored to be quite close to Premiere Magazine's film critic, Libby Gelman-Waxner, whose collected columns have been published under the title If You Ask Me. His screenplays include Addams Family Values, the screen adaptation of Jeffrey and In & Out.
--A brief production history with excerpts from reviews
Have a Play Full of Zingers? You Know Whom to Cast
By BEN BRANTLEY
New York Times
Published: November 20, 2006
The temptation for anyone writing about “Regrets Only,” which doubles as a comedy of Park Avenue manners and (far less persuasively) a tract on gay marriage, is to quote as many of those one-liners as space allows and then to try to describe just how Ms. Baranski delivers them.
But if I did that, there wouldn’t be much incentive for thrifty readers to attend this production, would there? They would be able to enliven cocktail parties by reciting Mr. Rudnick’s best jokes without having paid to see “Regrets Only.” And the Manhattan Theater Club, having gotten off to a rocky start this season with the reviled “Losing Louie” on Broadway, could use a hit comedy.
Hank is a wildly successful, gentlemanly designer with a passing resemblance to a real designer who was also wildly successful and gentlemanly and had an alliterative name: Bill Blass, who died in 2002. (Having known Mr. Blass, I can say with some authority that the parallels, like much of “Regrets Only,” are strictly on the surface.)
A hitherto apolitical animal, Hank — whose lover of many years died only months before the play begins — finds himself stirred to righteousness when a member of his intimate social set, a big-time lawyer named Jack McCullough (David Rasche), agrees to consult with President Bush on the drafting of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
What makes the situation especially thorny is that Jack is married to Hank’s closest confidante, Tibby, a professional partygoer and perfectly groomed clotheshorse. (The alarmingly productive William Ivey Long did the sociologically accurate costumes.) Tibby is played by Ms. Baranski, in a long-overdue return to the New York stage.
Anyway, Jack’s involvement with this proposed amendment forces Hank and Tibby to rethink what defines a marriage and, for that matter, a friendship.
Others join the debate: Myra (Jackie Hoffman), the McCulloughs’ madcap maid, who keeps interjecting her opinions in different foreign accents, with accessories to match; Marietta Claypoole (a regally funny Sian Phillips), Tibby’s madcap, much-married mother; and Spencer (Diane Davis), Tibby and Jack’s only mildly madcap daughter, who is about to be married for the first time.
Much madcap merriment — but with a message — ensues when Hank decides to prove that it’s gay people who make the McCulloughs’ world go round. Though Hank’s means of making his point have already been disclosed in advance feature articles in magazines and newspapers (including this one), I am not going to describe it. That would spoil the minimal surprise of the high concept (well, knee-high concept) that shapes the second act.
But too often “Regrets Only” has the unconvincing air of someone yelling, “Save the geese!” while feasting on foie gras. And when people aren’t merely being witty, the play sags.
As accomplished as the cast is, only Ms. Baranski strides the divide between comic intoxication and emotional sobriety. As she proved on the sitcom “Cybill,” she is a master of the deflating putdown. But as in her earlier stage work, she finds the complexity beneath her character’s ostensible silliness.
Tibby’s shiny stylishness never quite conceals the abiding lack of confidence of a girl who grew up with an overpowering, luxury-addicted mother. (When she was anorexic, she says, her mother told her: “Good for you! Keep going!” Yes, I know I promised not to do that. I’m sorry.)
Anyone who has spent time in Park Avenue dining rooms will probably have met someone much like Tibby, as Ms. Baranski portrays her: a woman who, despite a life devoted principally to clothes and menus, is too smart, too damaged and too valiant to be dismissed.
http://theater2.nytimes.com/2006/11/20/theater/reviews/20regr.html
Classroom Exercise (University only)
A list of basic legal facts that come with being married in America.
A list of social changes in America since President Bush has been elected.
Why do we think this is important?
5 Questions for the classroom.
What did you think after viewing this production?
What do you think of gay marriage?
What do you think of the current goverment in America?
Do you think gay marriage would hurt American Society?
How would America change if gay marriage was allowed?
Resources & Links
1)New York Times Review
This is the first review ever of this production in New York City
It tells alot about audience reaction
http://theater2.nytimes.com/2006/11/20/theater/reviews/20regr.html
2)Manhattan Theatre Club Website
This gives information and talks about the show.
All the information is important to see before producing this show.
http://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/2006-2007_season/p-regrets-only.htm
3)Manhattan Theatre Club Gallery of Production Photos
This shows images of the New York production.
This shows each character and their costumes.
http://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/2006-2007_season/RegretsOnly/gallery-prod.htm
4)Vogue Magazine
This is the top fashion magazine in America.
This show's fashion has to be up to date and the designer should know these current trends.
http://www.style.com/vogue/
5)Paul Rudnick Interview
It is a discussion of his work and why he writes what he does.
It changes your outlook of his work after listening to his interviews.
http://www.americantheatrewing.org/downstagecenter/detail/paul_rudnick
This is the first review ever of this production in New York City
It tells alot about audience reaction
http://theater2.nytimes.com/2006/11/20/theater/reviews/20regr.html
2)Manhattan Theatre Club Website
This gives information and talks about the show.
All the information is important to see before producing this show.
http://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/2006-2007_season/p-regrets-only.htm
3)Manhattan Theatre Club Gallery of Production Photos
This shows images of the New York production.
This shows each character and their costumes.
http://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/2006-2007_season/RegretsOnly/gallery-prod.htm
4)Vogue Magazine
This is the top fashion magazine in America.
This show's fashion has to be up to date and the designer should know these current trends.
http://www.style.com/vogue/
5)Paul Rudnick Interview
It is a discussion of his work and why he writes what he does.
It changes your outlook of his work after listening to his interviews.
http://www.americantheatrewing.org/downstagecenter/detail/paul_rudnick
Monday, August 4, 2008
Fashion
In this play, "Hank Hadley" is one of the most famous fashion designers in America. To these people, fashion is life and clothes tell not only thier story but place in society. It was very difficult to find clothes that I felt fit these people and their lifestyle with no budget. More so because, the actors are not at an age where they need to have gowns, dresses and suits in their closets. With that said, I made due with what I had and made the best product I could.
Fashion is a such a huge world, with many things to write about. I thought I would feature bios of all the fashion designers spoken of in the show and why they may have used these certain ones.
Ralph Lauren
His Polo brand known today as the preppy English-tweed look it conveys did not get to be a million dollar empire because Lauren was lucky, nor because Lauren had an immaculate sense of style. Lauren not only had an innovative mind, but he also knew that packaging and presentation were of utmost importance -- something he didn't need to learn while studying for his business degree.
In the late 60's, while Lauren was trying to develop his line of wide ties, Bloomingdale's insisted Lauren remove his name from the ties' label, and make his ties narrower. Not giving into the retail giant Bloomingdale's, Lauren stuck to his guns and refused to sell to the department store under such circumstances. Suffice it to say, the retailer came back crawling to Lauren and his ties under his terms, after having seen the brand's success.
http://www.infomat.com/whoswho/ralphlauren.html
Valentino
A list of his work
VALENTINO, date of creation: 1959
1959
Having completed his fashion studies and an apprenticeship with Jean Desss and Guy Laroche, Valentino starts up his first studio in Rome
1960
Begins his collaboration with Giancarlo Giammetti, who manages the commercial development of the House of Valentino
1962
His first collection at the international fashion Gotha in the Palazzo Pitti, Florence, is a triumphant success
1965
Valentino is recognized as the top name in Italian Haute Couture
1967
He is awarded the Neiman Marcus Prize in Dallas (the equivalent of an Oscar in the world of Fashion)
1968
Valentino's reputation is secured with the enormous success of his "Collezione Bianca", the first clothes and accessories to have the magic "V" label
Designs the wedding dress worn by Jacqueline Kennedy for her marriage to Aristote Onassis
1969
Begins his Boutique line of clothes and opens the first Valentino shop in Milan
1970
Launch of his first Ready-to-Wear collections
Opening of Valentino boutiques in Rome and New York
1971
Opening of the first menswear shop in Via Condotti
1975
First fashion show of his Ready-to-Wear collection in Paris
1976
Opens a boutique in Tokyo
1978
Launch of the Valentino perfume at a gala evening in Paris, at the ThŽ‰tre des Champs ElysŽes
1982
Publication of the book "Valentino", edited by Franco Maria Ricci
20 September, Valentino presents his Autumn/Winter collection at the Metropolitan Museum in New York
1984
Valentino celebrates his twenty-fifth year in the business and receives an official award from the Minister for Industry
1985
He is awarded the Grand'Ufficiale dell'Ordine al Merito by the President of Italy
1986
Receives the highest decoration possible in Italy, the Cavaliere di Gran Croce, from the President
1989
First show of the Haute Couture collection in Paris
1990
In February, Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti found L.I.F.E (initials in Italian for "Fighting, Informing, Building, Teaching"), an association working for the fight against Aids
The Accademia Valentino is officially opened to the public with an exhibition of painters of the Roman School
Exhibition of "The Art of Cartier" at the Accademia Valentino
Publication of the book "Valentino: Trent'Anni de Magia", by Leonardo
1991
To celebrate his thirtieth year in the fashion business, an exhibition entitled "Valentino: Thirsty Years of Magic" is organized in Valentino's honour by the Mayor of Rome at the Capitole Museum, while the Accademia Valentino presents a retrospective of his designs
Creation of the perfume Vendetta for men and women
1992
Exhibition at the Accademia Valentino entitled: "La seduzione da Boucher a Warhol"
The "Valentino: Thirty Years of Magic"' exhibition is invited to go to New York to coincide with the fifth centenary celebrations of the discovery of America.
Valentino is invited by the Chinese government to stage a show in Beijing
1994
In January, Valentino presents his first ever costume designs at the Eisenhower Theatre in the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Center, Washington, for an opera entitled "The Dream of Valentino", based on the life of the movie star Rudolf Valentino
1995
Valentino's return to Italy is celebrated on 14 January in Florence with a fashion show at the Stazione Leopolda, over thirty years his first show at the Palazzo Pitti. The Mayor of Florence awards him the "Premio speciale dell'arte nella moda"
1996
Valentino is named Cavaliere del Lavoro
1998
The House of Valentino is bought by H.d.P group (Holding di Partecipazioni Industriali), present on the Stock market.
Their goal is to create the first italian luxury group.
http://www.infomat.com/whoswho/garavanivalentino.html
Donna Karan
Donna Karan is the fashion designer and the creator of the DKNY (Donna Karan New York) clothing label. She was born Donna Ivy Faske on October 2, 1948 in Forest Hills, New York. She grew up in Hewlett, Long Island with her stepfather who was a tailor and her mother who was a model. She graduated from Hewlett High School in 1966 and then went on to Parsons The New School for Design for two years. She left to work for Anne Klein. Eventually she became head of the Anne Klein design-team and remained in this position until 1989. At that time, she launched the Essentials line, and her legendary "Seven Easy Pieces." [1],[2] She married Mark Karan in the early 1970s.
The European DKNY business was damaged in the early 1990s by poor quality and flawed logistics which resulted in the creation of a European supply center in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The company later announced to show their collection at the Milan fashion week in 1996 but later backed out again.
Karan is the founder of many charities including, most recently, the Urban Zen initiative. On March 14 and 15 2008, Karan organized a huge sale of her personal belongings and vintage company samples at her late husband's studio to benefit the cause.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Karan
Vera Wang
Vera Wang has spent more than twenty-five years in the fashion industry. After her sixteen-year tenure at Vogue, where she was Senior Fashion Editor, Vera Wang served as a design director for Ralph Lauren. In 1990, she ventured out on her own, opening a luxury salon at the esteemed Carlyle Hotel in New York City to showcase her bridal collection. The Vera Wang label quickly took off, earning praise from the fashion elite for its luxurious fabrics, exquisite detailing and modern interpretation of classic lines.
The discipline Vera Wang brings to her work and to her life was developed early by her parents, who encouraged academic excellence and athletic prowess. She studied at Chapin, Sarah Lawrence and at the Sorbonne and competed in international skating competitions.
Years later, her intimate knowledge of the sport, coupled with her taste and design ability, would capture the world's attention when silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan wore Vera's unique design for the 1994 Olympics. Vera Wang remains active in designing at the Olympic level for skaters such as Michelle Kwan.
Vera Wang's fashion sense also came early in life, beginning with visits to the Paris shows with her mother and maturing during her tenure at Vogue. As Senior Fashion Editor, Vera Wang interacted with the world's leading designers and brought their visions and sense of style to the world. Many of these designers became personal friends and mentors and helped Vera Wang deepen her knowledge of the business of fashion. In 1985, Vera Wang left Vogue and joined Ralph Lauren as a design director.
The inspiration for her label stemmed from her own frustrating wedding dress experience. Vera Wang aspired to add fashion sophistication to the segment, which was steeped in tradition and symbolism and yet operated like a commodities business. There was no fashion in bridal until Vera Wang. Today, Vera Wang's position as the preeminent designer of bridal gowns is only one aspect of her fashion vision for the future. The outstanding editorial success of her ready-to-wear shows demonstrates her presence beyond bridal. She continues to challenge herself as a designer, pursuing fragrance, fine jewelry, eyewear, footwear and a home collection that capture her vision for the future. Vera Wang's philosophy remains simple and elegant and her voice clearly distinguished from other designers. She is a design expert that women turn to for advice. Vera Wang is creating a lifestyle that is the epitome of luxury - infinitely sophisticated and always modern.
Vera Wang lives in New York City with her husband, businessman Arthur Becker, and their two daughters.
Aside from evening gowns and bridesmaid dresses the company also designs sportswear, and licenses its name for eyewear, fragrances, china, crystal, silver, and jewelry. Products are sold through upscale department stores, specialty stores, and two company-owned boutiques in New York City. Vera remains Chairman, CEO, and owner.
http://www.infomat.com/whoswho/verawang.html
All of these designers are some of the most noted in the world, which is why "Hank" feels the need to poke fun at them. Ralph Lauren and Donna Karen are know for their sportswear. Vera Wang and Valentino are known for there gowns and wedding dresses. In the show "Hank" designs both sportswear and gowns. He is asked to make "Spencer"s wedding dress. In this production we took at a basic dress and made it look more expensive and hand made from the help of Bich Do. She is a very talented designer as well, thank god for her.
Fashion is a such a huge world, with many things to write about. I thought I would feature bios of all the fashion designers spoken of in the show and why they may have used these certain ones.
Ralph Lauren
His Polo brand known today as the preppy English-tweed look it conveys did not get to be a million dollar empire because Lauren was lucky, nor because Lauren had an immaculate sense of style. Lauren not only had an innovative mind, but he also knew that packaging and presentation were of utmost importance -- something he didn't need to learn while studying for his business degree.
In the late 60's, while Lauren was trying to develop his line of wide ties, Bloomingdale's insisted Lauren remove his name from the ties' label, and make his ties narrower. Not giving into the retail giant Bloomingdale's, Lauren stuck to his guns and refused to sell to the department store under such circumstances. Suffice it to say, the retailer came back crawling to Lauren and his ties under his terms, after having seen the brand's success.
http://www.infomat.com/whoswho/ralphlauren.html
Valentino
A list of his work
VALENTINO, date of creation: 1959
1959
Having completed his fashion studies and an apprenticeship with Jean Desss and Guy Laroche, Valentino starts up his first studio in Rome
1960
Begins his collaboration with Giancarlo Giammetti, who manages the commercial development of the House of Valentino
1962
His first collection at the international fashion Gotha in the Palazzo Pitti, Florence, is a triumphant success
1965
Valentino is recognized as the top name in Italian Haute Couture
1967
He is awarded the Neiman Marcus Prize in Dallas (the equivalent of an Oscar in the world of Fashion)
1968
Valentino's reputation is secured with the enormous success of his "Collezione Bianca", the first clothes and accessories to have the magic "V" label
Designs the wedding dress worn by Jacqueline Kennedy for her marriage to Aristote Onassis
1969
Begins his Boutique line of clothes and opens the first Valentino shop in Milan
1970
Launch of his first Ready-to-Wear collections
Opening of Valentino boutiques in Rome and New York
1971
Opening of the first menswear shop in Via Condotti
1975
First fashion show of his Ready-to-Wear collection in Paris
1976
Opens a boutique in Tokyo
1978
Launch of the Valentino perfume at a gala evening in Paris, at the ThŽ‰tre des Champs ElysŽes
1982
Publication of the book "Valentino", edited by Franco Maria Ricci
20 September, Valentino presents his Autumn/Winter collection at the Metropolitan Museum in New York
1984
Valentino celebrates his twenty-fifth year in the business and receives an official award from the Minister for Industry
1985
He is awarded the Grand'Ufficiale dell'Ordine al Merito by the President of Italy
1986
Receives the highest decoration possible in Italy, the Cavaliere di Gran Croce, from the President
1989
First show of the Haute Couture collection in Paris
1990
In February, Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti found L.I.F.E (initials in Italian for "Fighting, Informing, Building, Teaching"), an association working for the fight against Aids
The Accademia Valentino is officially opened to the public with an exhibition of painters of the Roman School
Exhibition of "The Art of Cartier" at the Accademia Valentino
Publication of the book "Valentino: Trent'Anni de Magia", by Leonardo
1991
To celebrate his thirtieth year in the fashion business, an exhibition entitled "Valentino: Thirsty Years of Magic" is organized in Valentino's honour by the Mayor of Rome at the Capitole Museum, while the Accademia Valentino presents a retrospective of his designs
Creation of the perfume Vendetta for men and women
1992
Exhibition at the Accademia Valentino entitled: "La seduzione da Boucher a Warhol"
The "Valentino: Thirty Years of Magic"' exhibition is invited to go to New York to coincide with the fifth centenary celebrations of the discovery of America.
Valentino is invited by the Chinese government to stage a show in Beijing
1994
In January, Valentino presents his first ever costume designs at the Eisenhower Theatre in the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Center, Washington, for an opera entitled "The Dream of Valentino", based on the life of the movie star Rudolf Valentino
1995
Valentino's return to Italy is celebrated on 14 January in Florence with a fashion show at the Stazione Leopolda, over thirty years his first show at the Palazzo Pitti. The Mayor of Florence awards him the "Premio speciale dell'arte nella moda"
1996
Valentino is named Cavaliere del Lavoro
1998
The House of Valentino is bought by H.d.P group (Holding di Partecipazioni Industriali), present on the Stock market.
Their goal is to create the first italian luxury group.
http://www.infomat.com/whoswho/garavanivalentino.html
Donna Karan
Donna Karan is the fashion designer and the creator of the DKNY (Donna Karan New York) clothing label. She was born Donna Ivy Faske on October 2, 1948 in Forest Hills, New York. She grew up in Hewlett, Long Island with her stepfather who was a tailor and her mother who was a model. She graduated from Hewlett High School in 1966 and then went on to Parsons The New School for Design for two years. She left to work for Anne Klein. Eventually she became head of the Anne Klein design-team and remained in this position until 1989. At that time, she launched the Essentials line, and her legendary "Seven Easy Pieces." [1],[2] She married Mark Karan in the early 1970s.
The European DKNY business was damaged in the early 1990s by poor quality and flawed logistics which resulted in the creation of a European supply center in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The company later announced to show their collection at the Milan fashion week in 1996 but later backed out again.
Karan is the founder of many charities including, most recently, the Urban Zen initiative. On March 14 and 15 2008, Karan organized a huge sale of her personal belongings and vintage company samples at her late husband's studio to benefit the cause.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Karan
Vera Wang
Vera Wang has spent more than twenty-five years in the fashion industry. After her sixteen-year tenure at Vogue, where she was Senior Fashion Editor, Vera Wang served as a design director for Ralph Lauren. In 1990, she ventured out on her own, opening a luxury salon at the esteemed Carlyle Hotel in New York City to showcase her bridal collection. The Vera Wang label quickly took off, earning praise from the fashion elite for its luxurious fabrics, exquisite detailing and modern interpretation of classic lines.
The discipline Vera Wang brings to her work and to her life was developed early by her parents, who encouraged academic excellence and athletic prowess. She studied at Chapin, Sarah Lawrence and at the Sorbonne and competed in international skating competitions.
Years later, her intimate knowledge of the sport, coupled with her taste and design ability, would capture the world's attention when silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan wore Vera's unique design for the 1994 Olympics. Vera Wang remains active in designing at the Olympic level for skaters such as Michelle Kwan.
Vera Wang's fashion sense also came early in life, beginning with visits to the Paris shows with her mother and maturing during her tenure at Vogue. As Senior Fashion Editor, Vera Wang interacted with the world's leading designers and brought their visions and sense of style to the world. Many of these designers became personal friends and mentors and helped Vera Wang deepen her knowledge of the business of fashion. In 1985, Vera Wang left Vogue and joined Ralph Lauren as a design director.
The inspiration for her label stemmed from her own frustrating wedding dress experience. Vera Wang aspired to add fashion sophistication to the segment, which was steeped in tradition and symbolism and yet operated like a commodities business. There was no fashion in bridal until Vera Wang. Today, Vera Wang's position as the preeminent designer of bridal gowns is only one aspect of her fashion vision for the future. The outstanding editorial success of her ready-to-wear shows demonstrates her presence beyond bridal. She continues to challenge herself as a designer, pursuing fragrance, fine jewelry, eyewear, footwear and a home collection that capture her vision for the future. Vera Wang's philosophy remains simple and elegant and her voice clearly distinguished from other designers. She is a design expert that women turn to for advice. Vera Wang is creating a lifestyle that is the epitome of luxury - infinitely sophisticated and always modern.
Vera Wang lives in New York City with her husband, businessman Arthur Becker, and their two daughters.
Aside from evening gowns and bridesmaid dresses the company also designs sportswear, and licenses its name for eyewear, fragrances, china, crystal, silver, and jewelry. Products are sold through upscale department stores, specialty stores, and two company-owned boutiques in New York City. Vera remains Chairman, CEO, and owner.
http://www.infomat.com/whoswho/verawang.html
All of these designers are some of the most noted in the world, which is why "Hank" feels the need to poke fun at them. Ralph Lauren and Donna Karen are know for their sportswear. Vera Wang and Valentino are known for there gowns and wedding dresses. In the show "Hank" designs both sportswear and gowns. He is asked to make "Spencer"s wedding dress. In this production we took at a basic dress and made it look more expensive and hand made from the help of Bich Do. She is a very talented designer as well, thank god for her.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Note for David
There are only four published productions of Regrets Only, which are as followed in the blog. Thank you.
Side note- The Sam Houston production is the only production ever done in the southern region of America, all published prodcutions are in the north. Although one is performed at a university campus it is done with non students. Sam Houston is the first all student production of Regrets only. Just fun facts that I found :) Thanks
Side note- The Sam Houston production is the only production ever done in the southern region of America, all published prodcutions are in the north. Although one is performed at a university campus it is done with non students. Sam Houston is the first all student production of Regrets only. Just fun facts that I found :) Thanks
Production Reviews
1)Have a Play Full of Zingers? You Know Whom to Cast
By BEN BRANTLEY
New York Times
Published: November 20, 2006
The temptation for anyone writing about “Regrets Only,” which doubles as a comedy of Park Avenue manners and (far less persuasively) a tract on gay marriage, is to quote as many of those one-liners as space allows and then to try to describe just how Ms. Baranski delivers them.
But if I did that, there wouldn’t be much incentive for thrifty readers to attend this production, would there? They would be able to enliven cocktail parties by reciting Mr. Rudnick’s best jokes without having paid to see “Regrets Only.” And the Manhattan Theater Club, having gotten off to a rocky start this season with the reviled “Losing Louie” on Broadway, could use a hit comedy.
Hank is a wildly successful, gentlemanly designer with a passing resemblance to a real designer who was also wildly successful and gentlemanly and had an alliterative name: Bill Blass, who died in 2002. (Having known Mr. Blass, I can say with some authority that the parallels, like much of “Regrets Only,” are strictly on the surface.)
A hitherto apolitical animal, Hank — whose lover of many years died only months before the play begins — finds himself stirred to righteousness when a member of his intimate social set, a big-time lawyer named Jack McCullough (David Rasche), agrees to consult with President Bush on the drafting of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
What makes the situation especially thorny is that Jack is married to Hank’s closest confidante, Tibby, a professional partygoer and perfectly groomed clotheshorse. (The alarmingly productive William Ivey Long did the sociologically accurate costumes.) Tibby is played by Ms. Baranski, in a long-overdue return to the New York stage.
Anyway, Jack’s involvement with this proposed amendment forces Hank and Tibby to rethink what defines a marriage and, for that matter, a friendship.
Others join the debate: Myra (Jackie Hoffman), the McCulloughs’ madcap maid, who keeps interjecting her opinions in different foreign accents, with accessories to match; Marietta Claypoole (a regally funny Sian Phillips), Tibby’s madcap, much-married mother; and Spencer (Diane Davis), Tibby and Jack’s only mildly madcap daughter, who is about to be married for the first time.
Much madcap merriment — but with a message — ensues when Hank decides to prove that it’s gay people who make the McCulloughs’ world go round. Though Hank’s means of making his point have already been disclosed in advance feature articles in magazines and newspapers (including this one), I am not going to describe it. That would spoil the minimal surprise of the high concept (well, knee-high concept) that shapes the second act.
But too often “Regrets Only” has the unconvincing air of someone yelling, “Save the geese!” while feasting on foie gras. And when people aren’t merely being witty, the play sags.
As accomplished as the cast is, only Ms. Baranski strides the divide between comic intoxication and emotional sobriety. As she proved on the sitcom “Cybill,” she is a master of the deflating putdown. But as in her earlier stage work, she finds the complexity beneath her character’s ostensible silliness.
Tibby’s shiny stylishness never quite conceals the abiding lack of confidence of a girl who grew up with an overpowering, luxury-addicted mother. (When she was anorexic, she says, her mother told her: “Good for you! Keep going!” Yes, I know I promised not to do that. I’m sorry.)
Anyone who has spent time in Park Avenue dining rooms will probably have met someone much like Tibby, as Ms. Baranski portrays her: a woman who, despite a life devoted principally to clothes and menus, is too smart, too damaged and too valiant to be dismissed.
http://theater2.nytimes.com/2006/11/20/theater/reviews/20regr.html
2)Regrets Only: ... And Now for the Neil Simon Side of Paul Rudnick
By Bob Randall
talkingbroadway.com
July 2007
Now, Premiere Stages, located at Kean University, is presenting Rudnick's latest, Regrets Only, a (conservatively) joke-a-minute Neil Simon-esque, stylistically mainstream comedy. Although both authors deal with personal relationships, Simon's best plays seem strictly personal, whereas Rudnick's concerns are more social and political.
Still, Rudnick's topic is hardly mainstream. For months, since the death of his life partner, famed dress designer Hank Hadley has remained withdrawn from his normal social pursuits. Tonight, Hank arrives at the luxurious Fifth Avenue penthouse apartment of his best friend, Tibby McCullough, and her constitutional attorney husband, Jack. Hadley is prepared for a night of society party hopping. On the scene is the McCullough's daughter, Spencer, also a hot shot attorney. Spencer announces that she has become engaged to a much older, super wealthy investment banker and she intends to have a St. Patrick's wedding with "the whole works."
Hank feels betrayed when Jack proudly tells him about being asked by President (George W.) Bush to come up with an iron clad definition which would limit marriage to being between a man and a woman. Jack is thrilled by the honor of the request and asks the willing Spencer to accompany him as his assistant. Only Tibby is simpatico to Hank's objections, but she is not willing to stand up in opposition to Jack and Spencer. As the first act curtain descends, Hank now feels that he is not being treated as a friend and equal, but rather as an entertainer by his old friends. He declines to join them for their planned night out.
In the first act, Rudnick peppers us with one joke after another. Most are very funny, but they are scattershot as Rudnick seems not to care whether or not they are relevant to the action or consistent with character. Omnipresent (constantly shuffling in and out) is the wise cracking maid whose every word, gesture and movement is tied to a gag (comedienne Jackie Hoffman played this role at the Manhattan Theatre Club). The maid opens with an Irish brogue, followed hard on by a French accent and then a Cockney one. When asked why the accents, she responds, "I'm tired of being the only white, Jewish maid in New York." Well, Rudnick's Myra Kesselman may be Jewish, but her prototype reached its apogee over sixty years ago in the screen performances of the resplendently Irish Patsy Kelly.
The first (of two) scene in the second act is the heart of Regrets Only, and it is a corker. It is four months later, and Spencer is trying to make final arrangements for her wedding, but she cannot reach her florist, music coordinator or travel agent. Shortly Hank arrives and informs one and all (including Tibby's dotty mother, Marietta) that, sparked by his anger at Jack and Spencer, he has organized gays to protest their inability to marry by not showing up at their jobs. There are more funny jokes in this extended scene than there are over the entire length of most comedies. Even better, these jokes all relate to the topic at hand. This boycott idea (re: American blacks) was explored in Douglas Ward Turner's 1965 one act, "Day of Absence" and has proven impractical when actually attempted, but it is presented by Rudnick with such sharp and satiric good humor that it plays like a breath of fresh air. My notes contain almost two dozen uproarious jokes from this scene including over a half dozen about the theatre. I'll share one here. Marietta bemoans all the cancelled theatre performances. Asked "what about Matthew Broderick?", she responds, "He wanted to go on, but he was afraid of Nathan Lane."
It seems inexplicable given the high powered cast that performed the play at the Manhattan Theatre Club last fall, but I enjoyed Premiere Stages' Regrets Only more. Particularly outstanding is the warm and casually dignified performance of Douglas Scott Allen as Hank Hadley. Allen conveys the hurt and mystification that Hank feels with small delicate strokes. His recounting of his relationship with and feelings toward his late partner has a deeply human, universal feel which transcends specific sexuality. His Hank is the center and anchor of the play.
Paul Rudnick may not write the best structured plays, but he is certainly one of the funniest, if not the funniest, writer that we have in the American theatre. Of the two Rudnick plays currently running not very far apart in New Jersey, the more mainstream Regrets Only is more likely to appeal to audiences taking their first theatre journey with him.
http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/nj/nj237.html
3)Regrets Only Leaves You with No Regrets
By Joe Monroe II
Theatre Louisville Reviews
Sept 4, 2007
Regrets Only, Pandora's season opener and its third Paul Rudnick play, provokes thought, challenges the status quo, and keeps you laughing. Pandora has a winner.
Paul Rudnick is known as the quintessential writer of gay comedy. I, personally, didn’t know that there was such a thing as “gay” comedy, and I am still not sure if I would classify this play as one. It is a satirical comedy that is truly funny. Rudnick likes to deal with social and political issues, and this show tests relationships, loyalties, and convictions on both of those levels.
Scene one of three introduces most of the characters. Best friends Tibby (played by Carol Tyree Williams) and Hank (a famous, gay dress designer whose partner has recently passed -- played by Dale Strange) are planning a night on the town, party hopping to various upper-class social events. Spencer (Sarah Meuler), a big-time lawyer, enters bragging about her seven-figure salary and announces to everyone that she is marrying an investment banker. In the same scene, Jack (Sean Childress), husband of Tibby, father of Spencer and also a big-time attorney, receives a call from the President of the United States, asking him to help change the Constitution and come up with a clear definition of marriage that would limit it to being between a man and a woman. Jack takes the challenge and invites Spencer to help him. Spencer immediately begins to ask the question, “What is marriage?”k feels his friendship is betrayed by Jack and Spencer for even considering the President's offer. Scenes two and three deal with Hank putting a plan in place to show his friends and others what the world would be like without gay people. Although the ending is predictable, the jokes and characters keep the audience's attention.
This show has a great cast, with its most memorable character being Myra (Greylyn Gregory), the only white Jewish maid in New York. She keeps the first scene going by being omnipresent, entering and exiting while delivering punch lines in various accents. Later, other things are revealed about her character, but she is consistently the comic relief and a breath of fresh air when scenes are getting too serious or starting to drag.
Michael Drury showcases excellent directing skills as he brings this Rudnick play to life in the beautiful Bunbury Theatre. Missing this show would be a "regrettable" mistake.
http://theatrelouisville.org/reviews2007/jm_regrets.php
4)Regrets Only
Director James Brannan
July 2007
Capehouse Theatre
There is no review for this show, this a character breakdown and cast bio. It was the only thing I could find for a review.
https://secure.kisscomputing.com/capeplay1/RegretsPhotosBios.htm#RegretsPhotosBios
By BEN BRANTLEY
New York Times
Published: November 20, 2006
The temptation for anyone writing about “Regrets Only,” which doubles as a comedy of Park Avenue manners and (far less persuasively) a tract on gay marriage, is to quote as many of those one-liners as space allows and then to try to describe just how Ms. Baranski delivers them.
But if I did that, there wouldn’t be much incentive for thrifty readers to attend this production, would there? They would be able to enliven cocktail parties by reciting Mr. Rudnick’s best jokes without having paid to see “Regrets Only.” And the Manhattan Theater Club, having gotten off to a rocky start this season with the reviled “Losing Louie” on Broadway, could use a hit comedy.
Hank is a wildly successful, gentlemanly designer with a passing resemblance to a real designer who was also wildly successful and gentlemanly and had an alliterative name: Bill Blass, who died in 2002. (Having known Mr. Blass, I can say with some authority that the parallels, like much of “Regrets Only,” are strictly on the surface.)
A hitherto apolitical animal, Hank — whose lover of many years died only months before the play begins — finds himself stirred to righteousness when a member of his intimate social set, a big-time lawyer named Jack McCullough (David Rasche), agrees to consult with President Bush on the drafting of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
What makes the situation especially thorny is that Jack is married to Hank’s closest confidante, Tibby, a professional partygoer and perfectly groomed clotheshorse. (The alarmingly productive William Ivey Long did the sociologically accurate costumes.) Tibby is played by Ms. Baranski, in a long-overdue return to the New York stage.
Anyway, Jack’s involvement with this proposed amendment forces Hank and Tibby to rethink what defines a marriage and, for that matter, a friendship.
Others join the debate: Myra (Jackie Hoffman), the McCulloughs’ madcap maid, who keeps interjecting her opinions in different foreign accents, with accessories to match; Marietta Claypoole (a regally funny Sian Phillips), Tibby’s madcap, much-married mother; and Spencer (Diane Davis), Tibby and Jack’s only mildly madcap daughter, who is about to be married for the first time.
Much madcap merriment — but with a message — ensues when Hank decides to prove that it’s gay people who make the McCulloughs’ world go round. Though Hank’s means of making his point have already been disclosed in advance feature articles in magazines and newspapers (including this one), I am not going to describe it. That would spoil the minimal surprise of the high concept (well, knee-high concept) that shapes the second act.
But too often “Regrets Only” has the unconvincing air of someone yelling, “Save the geese!” while feasting on foie gras. And when people aren’t merely being witty, the play sags.
As accomplished as the cast is, only Ms. Baranski strides the divide between comic intoxication and emotional sobriety. As she proved on the sitcom “Cybill,” she is a master of the deflating putdown. But as in her earlier stage work, she finds the complexity beneath her character’s ostensible silliness.
Tibby’s shiny stylishness never quite conceals the abiding lack of confidence of a girl who grew up with an overpowering, luxury-addicted mother. (When she was anorexic, she says, her mother told her: “Good for you! Keep going!” Yes, I know I promised not to do that. I’m sorry.)
Anyone who has spent time in Park Avenue dining rooms will probably have met someone much like Tibby, as Ms. Baranski portrays her: a woman who, despite a life devoted principally to clothes and menus, is too smart, too damaged and too valiant to be dismissed.
http://theater2.nytimes.com/2006/11/20/theater/reviews/20regr.html
2)Regrets Only: ... And Now for the Neil Simon Side of Paul Rudnick
By Bob Randall
talkingbroadway.com
July 2007
Now, Premiere Stages, located at Kean University, is presenting Rudnick's latest, Regrets Only, a (conservatively) joke-a-minute Neil Simon-esque, stylistically mainstream comedy. Although both authors deal with personal relationships, Simon's best plays seem strictly personal, whereas Rudnick's concerns are more social and political.
Still, Rudnick's topic is hardly mainstream. For months, since the death of his life partner, famed dress designer Hank Hadley has remained withdrawn from his normal social pursuits. Tonight, Hank arrives at the luxurious Fifth Avenue penthouse apartment of his best friend, Tibby McCullough, and her constitutional attorney husband, Jack. Hadley is prepared for a night of society party hopping. On the scene is the McCullough's daughter, Spencer, also a hot shot attorney. Spencer announces that she has become engaged to a much older, super wealthy investment banker and she intends to have a St. Patrick's wedding with "the whole works."
Hank feels betrayed when Jack proudly tells him about being asked by President (George W.) Bush to come up with an iron clad definition which would limit marriage to being between a man and a woman. Jack is thrilled by the honor of the request and asks the willing Spencer to accompany him as his assistant. Only Tibby is simpatico to Hank's objections, but she is not willing to stand up in opposition to Jack and Spencer. As the first act curtain descends, Hank now feels that he is not being treated as a friend and equal, but rather as an entertainer by his old friends. He declines to join them for their planned night out.
In the first act, Rudnick peppers us with one joke after another. Most are very funny, but they are scattershot as Rudnick seems not to care whether or not they are relevant to the action or consistent with character. Omnipresent (constantly shuffling in and out) is the wise cracking maid whose every word, gesture and movement is tied to a gag (comedienne Jackie Hoffman played this role at the Manhattan Theatre Club). The maid opens with an Irish brogue, followed hard on by a French accent and then a Cockney one. When asked why the accents, she responds, "I'm tired of being the only white, Jewish maid in New York." Well, Rudnick's Myra Kesselman may be Jewish, but her prototype reached its apogee over sixty years ago in the screen performances of the resplendently Irish Patsy Kelly.
The first (of two) scene in the second act is the heart of Regrets Only, and it is a corker. It is four months later, and Spencer is trying to make final arrangements for her wedding, but she cannot reach her florist, music coordinator or travel agent. Shortly Hank arrives and informs one and all (including Tibby's dotty mother, Marietta) that, sparked by his anger at Jack and Spencer, he has organized gays to protest their inability to marry by not showing up at their jobs. There are more funny jokes in this extended scene than there are over the entire length of most comedies. Even better, these jokes all relate to the topic at hand. This boycott idea (re: American blacks) was explored in Douglas Ward Turner's 1965 one act, "Day of Absence" and has proven impractical when actually attempted, but it is presented by Rudnick with such sharp and satiric good humor that it plays like a breath of fresh air. My notes contain almost two dozen uproarious jokes from this scene including over a half dozen about the theatre. I'll share one here. Marietta bemoans all the cancelled theatre performances. Asked "what about Matthew Broderick?", she responds, "He wanted to go on, but he was afraid of Nathan Lane."
It seems inexplicable given the high powered cast that performed the play at the Manhattan Theatre Club last fall, but I enjoyed Premiere Stages' Regrets Only more. Particularly outstanding is the warm and casually dignified performance of Douglas Scott Allen as Hank Hadley. Allen conveys the hurt and mystification that Hank feels with small delicate strokes. His recounting of his relationship with and feelings toward his late partner has a deeply human, universal feel which transcends specific sexuality. His Hank is the center and anchor of the play.
Paul Rudnick may not write the best structured plays, but he is certainly one of the funniest, if not the funniest, writer that we have in the American theatre. Of the two Rudnick plays currently running not very far apart in New Jersey, the more mainstream Regrets Only is more likely to appeal to audiences taking their first theatre journey with him.
http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/nj/nj237.html
3)Regrets Only Leaves You with No Regrets
By Joe Monroe II
Theatre Louisville Reviews
Sept 4, 2007
Regrets Only, Pandora's season opener and its third Paul Rudnick play, provokes thought, challenges the status quo, and keeps you laughing. Pandora has a winner.
Paul Rudnick is known as the quintessential writer of gay comedy. I, personally, didn’t know that there was such a thing as “gay” comedy, and I am still not sure if I would classify this play as one. It is a satirical comedy that is truly funny. Rudnick likes to deal with social and political issues, and this show tests relationships, loyalties, and convictions on both of those levels.
Scene one of three introduces most of the characters. Best friends Tibby (played by Carol Tyree Williams) and Hank (a famous, gay dress designer whose partner has recently passed -- played by Dale Strange) are planning a night on the town, party hopping to various upper-class social events. Spencer (Sarah Meuler), a big-time lawyer, enters bragging about her seven-figure salary and announces to everyone that she is marrying an investment banker. In the same scene, Jack (Sean Childress), husband of Tibby, father of Spencer and also a big-time attorney, receives a call from the President of the United States, asking him to help change the Constitution and come up with a clear definition of marriage that would limit it to being between a man and a woman. Jack takes the challenge and invites Spencer to help him. Spencer immediately begins to ask the question, “What is marriage?”k feels his friendship is betrayed by Jack and Spencer for even considering the President's offer. Scenes two and three deal with Hank putting a plan in place to show his friends and others what the world would be like without gay people. Although the ending is predictable, the jokes and characters keep the audience's attention.
This show has a great cast, with its most memorable character being Myra (Greylyn Gregory), the only white Jewish maid in New York. She keeps the first scene going by being omnipresent, entering and exiting while delivering punch lines in various accents. Later, other things are revealed about her character, but she is consistently the comic relief and a breath of fresh air when scenes are getting too serious or starting to drag.
Michael Drury showcases excellent directing skills as he brings this Rudnick play to life in the beautiful Bunbury Theatre. Missing this show would be a "regrettable" mistake.
http://theatrelouisville.org/reviews2007/jm_regrets.php
4)Regrets Only
Director James Brannan
July 2007
Capehouse Theatre
There is no review for this show, this a character breakdown and cast bio. It was the only thing I could find for a review.
https://secure.kisscomputing.com/capeplay1/RegretsPhotosBios.htm#RegretsPhotosBios
Production History
1)Manhattan Theatre Club, New York, NY
Nov. 2006- Feb. 2007
PAUL RUDNICK (Playwright), CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY (Director), MICHAEL YEARGAN (Scenic Designer), WILLIAM IVEY LONG (Costume Designer), NATASHA KATZ (Lighting Designer), JOHN GROMADA (Sound Designer),MARTHA DONALDSON (Prod. Stage Manager) ,KYLE GATES (Stage Manager)
Cast
Christine Baranski- Tibby
DianeDavis- Spencer
GeorgeGrizzard- Hank
Jackie Hoffman- Mrya
Siân Philips- Marietta
David Rasche - Jack
This is the first production of this show. It was suppossed to end in Dec, but got extended until Feb.
http://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/2006-2007_season/p-regrets-only.htm
2) Premiere Stages Wilkins Theatre on the campus of Kean University
Union, NJ
July 2007
Directed by Ted Sluberski
Set Designer- Kennon Rothchild
Costume Designer- Karen Lee Hart
Cast
Myra Kesselman……………………....Sheila Head
Hank Hadley…………….Douglas Scott Allen
Tibby McCullough…………...Caryn Rosenthal
Jack McCullough……………………Patrick Boll
Spencer McCullough……………..Melissa Miller
Marietta Claypoole……………Kathleen Butler
There is nothing notable about this production.
http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/nj/nj237.html
3)Bunbury Theatre at the Historic Henry Clay
Louisville, KY
August-September 2007
Directed by Michael J. Drury
No designers listed on website or review
Cast
Tibby (Carol Tyree Williams)
Hank (Dale Strange)
Spencer (Sarah Meuler)
Jack (Sean Childress)
Myra (Greylyn Gregory)
This theatre prides it's self on producing cutting egde productions. Many gay works are doen at this theatre.
4.Cape Playhouse
July 2007
Dennis MA
Directed By James Brennan
Set by Dan Meeker
Costumes by Gail Baldoni
Cast
DEE HOTY (Tibby McCullough)
KATHEL CARLSON (Myra Kesselman)
HARRY GROENER (Hank Hadley)
JOEL HIGGINS (Jack McCullough)
EDEN RIEGEL (Spencer McCullough)
DAWN DIDAWICK (Marietta Claypoole)
Many of the actors in this production have been on Broadway many times. This is an equity theatre.
Nov. 2006- Feb. 2007
PAUL RUDNICK (Playwright), CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY (Director), MICHAEL YEARGAN (Scenic Designer), WILLIAM IVEY LONG (Costume Designer), NATASHA KATZ (Lighting Designer), JOHN GROMADA (Sound Designer),MARTHA DONALDSON (Prod. Stage Manager) ,KYLE GATES (Stage Manager)
Cast
Christine Baranski- Tibby
DianeDavis- Spencer
GeorgeGrizzard- Hank
Jackie Hoffman- Mrya
Siân Philips- Marietta
David Rasche - Jack
This is the first production of this show. It was suppossed to end in Dec, but got extended until Feb.
http://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/2006-2007_season/p-regrets-only.htm
2) Premiere Stages Wilkins Theatre on the campus of Kean University
Union, NJ
July 2007
Directed by Ted Sluberski
Set Designer- Kennon Rothchild
Costume Designer- Karen Lee Hart
Cast
Myra Kesselman……………………....Sheila Head
Hank Hadley…………….Douglas Scott Allen
Tibby McCullough…………...Caryn Rosenthal
Jack McCullough……………………Patrick Boll
Spencer McCullough……………..Melissa Miller
Marietta Claypoole……………Kathleen Butler
There is nothing notable about this production.
http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/nj/nj237.html
3)Bunbury Theatre at the Historic Henry Clay
Louisville, KY
August-September 2007
Directed by Michael J. Drury
No designers listed on website or review
Cast
Tibby (Carol Tyree Williams)
Hank (Dale Strange)
Spencer (Sarah Meuler)
Jack (Sean Childress)
Myra (Greylyn Gregory)
This theatre prides it's self on producing cutting egde productions. Many gay works are doen at this theatre.
4.Cape Playhouse
July 2007
Dennis MA
Directed By James Brennan
Set by Dan Meeker
Costumes by Gail Baldoni
Cast
DEE HOTY (Tibby McCullough)
KATHEL CARLSON (Myra Kesselman)
HARRY GROENER (Hank Hadley)
JOEL HIGGINS (Jack McCullough)
EDEN RIEGEL (Spencer McCullough)
DAWN DIDAWICK (Marietta Claypoole)
Many of the actors in this production have been on Broadway many times. This is an equity theatre.
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