''A Texas Trilogy'' (also known as ''The Bradleyville Trilogy'') is a set of three plays written by Preston Jones. The three plays are set in a mythical West Texas town and employ idiosyncratic language and characters that present an evocative depiction of small-town Texas life. The plays in this trilogy are ''

The Oldest Living Graduate ''The Oldest Living Graduate'' is the third and final play in the series ''A Texas Trilogy'' by Preston Jones. History The original name of ''A Texas Trilogy'' was ''The Bradleyville Trilogy''. The trilogy was first performed in its entirety at ...

'', '' The Last Meeting of the Knights of the White Magnolia'', and '' Lu Ann Hampton Laverty Oberlander''.

Performance history

The trilogy was first performed as separate pieces during the 19731974 season at the Down Center Stage in Dallas, Texas. After this, ''Knights of the White'' and ''Lu Ann Hampton'' were performed together at the 1974

Playmarket Playmarket is a not-for-profit organisation providing script advisory services, representation for playwrights in New Zealand and access to New Zealand plays. Playmarket was founded in 1973 to encourage the professional production of New Zealand pl ...

showcase. Literary agent

Audrey Wood Audrey Wood (born August 12, 1948) is an American children's author. Wood resides in Santa Barbara, California. Biography Wood's first memories of storytelling were in Sarasota, Florida, where her father was employed by Ringling Brother ...

and director

Alan Schneider Alan Schneider (December 12, 1917 – May 3, 1984) was an American theatre director responsible for more than 100 theatre productions. In 1984 he was honored with a Drama Desk Special Award for serving a wide range of playwrights. He directed ...

saw the plays and immediately became interested in bringing them to Broadway. Wood became Preston's agent and Schneider eventually directed the Trilogy in Washington, DC, and New York City. In 1975, the three plays were performed together for the first time on the main stage of the

Dallas Theater Center The Dallas Theater Center is a major regional theater in Dallas, Texas, United States. It produces classic, contemporary and new plays and was the 2017 Tony Award recipient for Best Regional Theater. Dallas Theater Center produces its original w ...

under the title, ''The Bradleyville Trilogy''. That same year, the American Playwright's Theater, which promotes the production of new works in theaters around the country, chose ''Knights of the White'' as one of their offerings. In 1976, the renamed ''A Texas Trilogy'' played at the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

in Washington, DC, to popular and critical acclaim. After these initial successes, the trilogy opened on September 23, 1976, at the

Broadhurst Theatre The Broadhurst Theatre is a Broadway theater at 235 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1917, the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was built for the Shubert brothers. The Bro ...

in New York City, where it ran until October 29, 1976, for a total of 20 performances. The cast included

Henderson Forsythe Henderson Forsythe (September 11, 1917 – April 17, 2006) was an American actor. Forsythe was known for his role as Dr. David Stewart #2 on the soap opera ''As the World Turns'', a role he played for 32 years, and for his work on the New York sta ...

, Fred Gwynne, Kristin Griffith,

William LeMassena William LeMassena (May 23, 1916 – January 19, 1993) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles in Broadway and off-Broadway productions, the film '' All That Jazz'' (1979), and the soap opera ''As the World Turns'' (1985–1992). ...

, John Marriott,

Josh Mostel Joshua Mostel (born December 21, 1946) is an American actor with numerous film and Broadway credits. The son of Zero Mostel, he is best known for his supporting roles in films such as ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' (1973), '' Harry and Tonto'' (1974 ...

Diane Ladd Diane Ladd is an American actress. She has appeared in over 120 film and television roles. For the 1974 film ''Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'', she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and was nominated for the Academy A ...

Graham Beckel Graham Stuart Beckel (born December 22, 1949) is an American character actor. He is known for his guest appearances on television but has had roles in several major films as well. He is known for his roles as Franklin Ford in the drama film '' Th ...

, and

Everett McGill Everett McGill (born Charles Everett McGill III, October 21, 1945) is an American actor, who rose to prominence for his portrayal of a caveman in '' Quest for Fire'' (1981). He went on to have prominent roles in the films ''Dune'' (1984), '' Si ...

. Although the show received mixed reviews in New York, ''A Texas Trilogy'' won the

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...

for Outstanding Play. The first work in the trilogy, ''The Oldest Living Graduate'', was broadcast on television on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

in 1980, starring

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and ra ...

George Grizzard George Cooper Grizzard Jr. (April 1, 1928 – October 2, 2007) was an American stage, television, and film actor. He was the recipient of a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Tony Award, among other accolades. Life and career Grizzard ...

Timothy Hutton Timothy Tarquin Hutton (born August 16, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He is the youngest recipient of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which he won at age 20 for his performance as Conrad Jarrett in ''Ordinary People ...

Cloris Leachman Cloris Leachman (April 30, 1926 – January 27, 2021) was an American actress and comedian whose career spanned nearly eight decades. She won many accolades, including eight Primetime Emmy Awards from 22 nominations, making her the most nomina ...

, and

John Lithgow John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. Lithgow studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his work on the stage and screen. He has been the recipient of numerous ...

and won several Emmys, including Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for George Grizzard.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Texas Trilogy, A 1976 plays Broadway plays Drama Desk Award-winning plays