''Twigs'' is a play by

George Furth George Furth (born George Schweinfurth; December 14, 1932 – August 11, 2008) was an American librettist, playwright, and actor. Life and career Furth was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of George and Evelyn (née Tuerk) Schweinfurth. He was ...

, which premiered on Broadway in 1971.

Overview

The play consists of four sections involving three sisters and their mother, each focusing on one of the women as she confronts various issues with the man in her life. Emily is a recent widow, relocating to a new apartment, who finds herself attracted to the owner of the moving company. Celia is the wife of a bigoted ex-Army sergeant, whose reunion with an old pal leaves her out in the cold. Dorothy and her spouse discreetly try to learn if each has been faithful to the other as they celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. Last of all is Ma, the stubborn Irish matriarch, who rises from her deathbed to have a priest sanctify her

common-law marriage Common-law marriage, also known as non-ceremonial marriage, marriage, informal marriage, or marriage by habit and repute, is a legal framework where a couple may be considered married without having formally registered their relation as a civi ...

to a Dutchman.

Production

Furth wrote his play intending it to be a ''tour de force'' for a single actress playing all four roles. The title is derived from the quote, "Just as the twig is bent, the tree's inclined", written by

Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century. An exponent of Augustan literature, ...

in his ''

Moral Essays ''Moral Essays'' (also known as ''Epistles to Several Persons'') is a series of four poems on ethical subjects by Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the En ...

'' in 1773. The play premiered on Broadway 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 ...

on November 14, 1971 (previews from November 9), and transferred to the Plymouth Theatre on January 5, 1972, closing on July 23, 1972, after 289 performances and seven previews. Directed by Michael Bennett, the cast included

Sada Thompson Sada Carolyn Thompson (September 27, 1927 – May 4, 2011) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She was known to television audiences as Kate Lawrence in '' Family'' (1976-1980). Life and career She was born Sada Carolyn Thomps ...

Conrad Bain Conrad Stafford Bain (February 4, 1923 – January 14, 2013) was a Canadian-American comedian and actor. His television credits include a leading role as Phillip Drummond in the sitcom ''Diff'rent Strokes'', as Dr. Arthur Harmon on '' Maude'', ...

, and

Simon Oakland Simon Oakland (August 28, 1915 – August 29, 1983) was an American actor of stage, screen, and television. During his career, Oakland performed primarily on television, appearing in over 130 series and made-for-television movies between ...

;

Bob Avian Robert Avedisian (December 26, 1937 – January 21, 2021), professionally known as Bob Avian, was an American choreographer, theatrical producer and director. Biography Born in New York City to an Armenian family in December 1937, Avian spent his ...

was production assistant. Thompson won both the Tony and 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 her performance."'Twigs' Broadway"
playbillvault.com, accessed September 10, 2015 Carol Burnett-Liam Dunn in Twigs

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...

provided incidental music, including a song for Celia titled "Hollywood and Vine". Sondheim wrote: "George urthasked me to write a song for Celia, who mid-scene is reminiscing about a number she had sung in her movie days." Some of the plays used in ''Twigs'' originally were written for the musical ''

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared ...

''. The ''Los Angeles Times'', in Sada Thompson's obituary, quoted

Walter Kerr Walter Francis Kerr (July 8, 1913 – October 9, 1996) was an American writer and Broadway theatre critic. He also was the writer, lyricist, and/or director of several Broadway plays and musicals as well as the author of several books, genera ...

: she "does not simply give a stunning performance. She gives four of them." According to Furth's obituary in ''The New York Times'', the play received mixed reviews, but Walter Kerr "called its four interconnected pieces 'funny and touching and freshly conceived.' "

Television film

Furth adapted his play for a 1975 television film co-directed by

Alan Arkin Alan Wolf Arkin (born March 26, 1934) is an American actor, director and screenwriter known for his performances on stage and screen. Throughout his career spanning over six decades, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award ...

and Clark Jones. The cast included

Carol Burnett Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer. Her groundbreaking comedy variety show ''The Carol Burnett Show'', which originally aired on CBS was one of the first of its kind to be hosted ...

Ed Asner Eddie Asner (; November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. He is best remembered for portraying Lou Grant during the 1970s and early 1980s, on both ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' a ...

Liam Dunn Liam Dunn (November 12, 1916 – April 11, 1976) was an American character actor. Life and career The New Jersey native's early career was spent in television in series such as ''Bonanza'', ''Room 222'', ''Alias Smith and Jones'', ''Mannix'', ...

Pat Hingle Martin Patterson Hingle (July 19, 1924 – January 3, 2009) was an American character actor who appeared in stage productions and in hundreds of television shows and feature films. His first film was '' On the Waterfront'' in 1954. He often pla ...

Gary Burghoff Gary Rich Burghoff (born May 24, 1943) is an American actor who is known for originating the role of Charlie Brown in the 1967 Off-Broadway musical ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'', and the character Corporal Walter Eugene "Radar" O'Reilly in ...

, and Bain reprising his Broadway role. The film was telecast on CBS on March 6, 1975. A second telefilm was made in 1982, starring

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 ...

. The film was telecast on November 7, 1982 on the Entertainment Channel.Terrace, Vincent
"''Twigs''"
''Television Specials: 5,336 Entertainment Programs'', 1936-2012, 2d ed., McFarland, 2013, , p. 378

References

External links

* * {{IMDb title, 0770823 1971 plays Broadway plays Plays by George Furth 1975 television films 1975 films American television films American plays adapted into films American films based on plays Plays for one performer

Overview

Production

Television film

References

Further reading

External links