''You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running'' is a collection of four unrelated one-act comedy plays by Robert Anderson. In ''The Shock of Recognition'', playwright Jack Barnstable auditions Richard Pawling for a role that requires nudity and discovers the overeager actor is more than willing to show his stuff. ''The Footsteps of Doves'' focuses on Harriet and George, a married couple shopping for twin beds after many years of marriage. George, who is opposed to the change, strikes up a conversation with Jill, a considerably younger fellow shopper who shares his view. In ''I'll Be Home for Christmas'', Chuck and Edith realize how empty their marriage has become as they await the arrival of their adult children. ''I'm Herbert'' is a scattered conversation between Herbert and Muriel, an elderly couple with memory problems who try in vain to recall their earlier relationships. After 15 previews, the original

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

production opened on March 13, 1967 at the Ambassador Theatre. It transferred twice, to 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 ...

and then the

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, originally the Globe Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 205 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1910, the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre was designed by Carrère and Hasti ...

, before it completed its run of 756 performances on January 4, 1969. Directed by Alan Schneider, the opening night cast included

Eileen Heckart Anna Eileen Heckart ( Herbert; March 29, 1919 – December 31, 2001) was an American stage and screen actress whose career spanned nearly 60 years. Early life Heckart was born Anna Eileen Herbert in Columbus, Ohio. The daughter of Esther (), ...

Martin Balsam Martin Henry Balsam (November 4, 1919 – February 13, 1996) was an American actor. He had a prolific career in character roles in film, in theatre, and on television. An early member of the Actors Studio, he began his career on the New Yo ...

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 ...

, and

Melinda Dillon Melinda Dillon (born October 13, 1939) is a retired American actress. She received a 1963 Tony Award nomination for her Broadway debut in the original production of ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'', and she was nominated for the Academy Award ...

. Replacements later in the run included

Larry Blyden Ivan Lawrence Blieden (June 23, 1925 – June 6, 1975), known as Larry Blyden, was an American actor, stage producer and director, and game show host. He made his Broadway stage debut in 1948 and went on to appear in numerous productions on ...

Irene Dailey Irene Dailey (September 12, 1920 – September 24, 2008) was an American stage, film, and television actress. Biography Dailey was born in New York City, the daughter of Helen Theresa (née Ryan) and Daniel James Dailey. Her brother was actor Da ...

, and William Redfield.

Costume design Costume design is the creation of clothing for the overall appearance of a character or performer. Costume may refer to the style of dress particular to a nation, a class, or a period. In many cases, it may contribute to the fullness of the arti ...

was by Theoni V. Aldredge and

lighting design In theatre, a lighting designer (or LD) works with the director, choreographer, set designer, costume designer, and sound designer to create the lighting, atmosphere, and time of day for the production in response to the text while keeping i ...

was by

Jules Fisher Jules Fisher (born November 12, 1937) is an American lighting designer and producer. He is credited with lighting designs for more than 300 productions over the course of his 50-year career in Broadway and off-Broadway shows, as well extensive ...

. Balsam won the

Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actors for quality leading roles in a Broadway p ...

. Schneider was nominated for the

Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play The Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play has been given since 1960. Before 1960 there was only one award for both play direction and musical direction, then in 1960 the award was split into two categories: ''Dramatic'' and ''Musical''. In 1976 ...

but lost to

Mike Nichols Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and for his aptitude fo ...

for ''

Plaza Suite ''Plaza Suite'' is a comedy play by Neil Simon. Plot The play is composed of three acts, each involving different characters but all set in Suite 719 of New York City's Plaza Hotel. The first act, ''Visitor From Mamaroneck'', introduces the au ...

''.

Productions

Original Production

First presented by Jack Farren and

Gilbert Cates Gilbert Cates (né Katz; June 6, 1934 – October 31, 2011) was an American film director and television producer, director of the Geffen Playhouse, a member of Cates/Doty Productions, and founding dean of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Te ...

at the Ambassador Theatre in New York City on March 13, 1967 with the following cast: ''The Shock of Recognition'' *Jack Barnstable ....

Joe Silver Joe Silver (September 28, 1922 – February 27, 1989) was an American stage, television, film and radio actor. His distinctive deep voice was once described as "the lowest voice in show business; so low that when he speaks, he unties your sho ...

*Herb Miller ....

*Richard Pawling ....

*Dorothy ....

''The Footsteps of Doves'' *Salesman .... George Grizzard *Harriet ....

*George .... Martin Balsam *Jill .... Melinda Dillon ''I'll be Home for Christmas'' * Chuck .... Martin Balsam * Edith .... Eileen Heckart * Clarice .... Melinda Dillon ''I'm Herbert'' *Herbert .... George Grizzard *Muriel ....Eileen Heckart This production was directed by Alan Schneider, with scenery designed by Ed Wittstein, costumes by Theoni V. Aldredge, and lighting by

Other Productions

Agentura Harlekýn

*From

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

's theatre of Agency Harlekýn. Directed by Pavel Háša. ''Poznání šokem'' (''The Shock of Recognition'') *Herb Miller ....

Petr Nárožný Petr Nárožný (born 14 April 1938)) is a Czech actor, television presenter, comedian, and entertainer. Life and career As a boy, Nárožný spent part of World War II in Germany, where he experienced Allied bombings. He graduated from the Fac ...

*Jack Barnstable .... Jiří Ptáčník *Richard Pawling .... Václav Vydra *Dorothy .... Dana Morávková or Eva Janoušková ''Stopy Holubic'' (''The Footsteps of Doves'') *Harriet .... Libuše Švormová *George .... Jiří Ptáčník *Jill .... Dana Morávková or Eva Janoušková *Shopassistant .... Václav Vydra ''Já jsem Herbert'' (''I'm Herbert'') *Herbert .... Petr Nárožný *Muriel .... Květa Fialová

Career Launches

The creators of the soon-to-debut ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Mo ...

'' were having challenges finding the right actor for the role of anchorman

Ted Baxter Ted Baxter is a fictional character on the sitcom ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977). Portrayed by Ted Knight, the Baxter character is a broad parody of a vain, shallow, buffoonish TV personality. Knight's comedic model was actor William ...

. A ''Mary Tyler Moore Show'' producer happened to see

Ted Knight Ted Knight (born Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka; December 7, 1923August 26, 1986) was an American actor well known for playing the comedic roles of Ted Baxter in ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', Henry Rush in ''Too Close for Comfort'', and Judge Elihu ...

perform in ''You Know I Can't Hear you When the Water's Running'' at the Gallery Theater in California. Based on his performance, Knight was brought in to audition for, and was eventually cast as, Ted Baxter.

References

External links

* * {{Playbill production, /you-know-i-cant-hear-you-when-the-waters-running-broadway-ambassador-theatre-1967, , (1967 New York production)
archive
1968 plays Plays by Robert Woodruff Anderson Broadway plays Comedy plays