''A Fair Country'' is a play by Jon Robin Baitz. The play premiered

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

in 1996, and was a finalist for the 1996

Pulitzer Prize for Drama The Pulitzer Prize for Drama is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It is one of the original Pulitzers, for the program was inaugurated in 1917 with seven prizes, four of which were a ...

Productions

The play was initially presented by the New York Stage and Film Company at a workshop at

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely foll ...

, Poughkeepsie, New York, in July 1994. Directed by David Warren, the cast featured Justin Kirk (Gil Burgess), Maria Tucci (Patrice Burgess),

Ron Rifkin Ron Rifkin (born Saul M. Rifkin; October 31, 1939) is an American actor best known for his roles as Arvin Sloane on the spy drama ''Alias'', Saul Holden on the drama '' Brothers & Sisters'', and District Attorney Ellis Loew in ''L.A. Confidenti ...

(Harry Burgess), Patrick Breen (Alec Burgess), and Robin Morse (Carley Fletcher). Baitz, Jon Robin. "Introduction", ''A Fair Country'', Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 1997, , pp. 4-5 The play was then produced at Naked Angels Theatre Company, New York, New York, in November 1994. Directed by David Warren, the cast featured Matt McGrath (Gil Burgess), Maria Tucci, Ron Rifkin, Patrick Breen, and Mary McCormack (Carley Fletcher). The play was next workshopped at the Seattle Repertory Theatre in April 1995. Directed by Daniel Sullivan, the cast featured

Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received multiple accolades throughout ...

(Gil Burgess) and Joyce Van Patten (Patrice Burgess). ''A Fair Country'' premiered

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater on February 1, 1996 and closed on June 30, 1996. Directed by Daniel Sullivan, the cast featured Judith Ivey (Patrice Burgess),

Laurence Luckinbill Laurence George Luckinbill (born November 21, 1934) is an American actor, playwright and director. He has worked in television, film, and theatre, doing triple duty in the theatre by writing, directing, and starring in stage productions. He is kno ...

(Harry Burgess), Matt McGrath,

Dan Futterman Daniel Paul Futterman (born June 8, 1967) is an American actor, screenwriter, and producer. Futterman wrote the screenplay for the film '' Capote'', for which he received an Academy Award nomination, an Independent Spirit, Boston Society of Fil ...

(Alec Burgess), and Katie Finneran (Carley Fletcher).Gerard, Jeremy
"Review: ‘A Fair Country’"
''Variety'', February 21, 1996Canby, Vincent

''New York Times'', February 20, 1996 The Los Angeles Theatre Works presented the play in its Radio Drama Series in April 1998, featuring David Dukes, Judith Ivey, Matt McGrath and George Gaynes.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Chicago theatre company founded in 1974 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry, and Gary Sinise in the Unitarian church on Half Day Road in Deerfield, Illinois and is now located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood on ...

, Chicago, presented the play from July 9, 1998 to August 14, directed by Scott Zigler. The play was produced at the Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, in October to November 2000, directed by

Anna D. Shapiro Anna Davida Shapiro (born March 10, 1966) is an American theater director, was the artistic director of the Steppenwolf Theater Company, and a professor at Northwestern University. Throughout her career, she has directed both the Steppenwolf The ...

Plot

In 1987, Gil Burgess is an archeologist, working in Mexico. His estranged mother, Patrice, visits him, and he recalls the past events. In 1977, a teenaged Gil is living with his mother and father, Harry, in

Durban, South Africa Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

. Harry is a U.S. Information Officer. Harry wants to leave because of the political unrest, and when his son Alec visits, he sees his chance. Harry is offered a job in the Hague if he will reveal his son Alec's associates in the anti-apartheid underground.

Awards and nominations

The play won the 1996

Lucille Lortel Award The Lucille Lortel Awards recognize excellence in New York Off-Broadway theatre. The Awards are named for Lucille Lortel, an actress and theater producer, and have been awarded since 1986. They are produced by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres ...

, Outstanding Scenic Design,

Tony Walton Anthony John Walton (24 October 1934 – 2 March 2022) was a British set and costume designer. He won three Tony Awards for his work on '' Pippin'' (1973), '' House of Blue Leaves'' (1986), and ''Guys and Dolls'' (1992). For his work in movies ...

. Judith Ivey was nominated for the 1996 Outer Critics Circle Award, Outstanding Actress in a Play.'"A Fair Country"
lortel.org, accessed November 27, 2015 The play was a finalist for the 1996

. The nominating committee said of the play "Written with sharp, pointed dialogue, peopled by vivid characters and played against an international setting of Africa, Europe and Central America."Fischer, Heinz-D. (ed.
Plays
''Chronicle of the Pulitzer Prizes for Drama: Discussions, Decisions and Documents'', Walter de Gruyter, 2008, , p. 27

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fair Country 1996 plays Off-Broadway plays Plays by Jon Robin Baitz