''Belleville'' is a

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

from American playwright

Amy Herzog Amy Herzog is an American playwright. She is known for her poignant and character-driven plays that explore themes of family dynamics, personal relationships, and the complexities of human experience. She has received a Drama Desk Award as well a ...

. Commissioned by

Yale Repertory Theatre Yale Repertory Theatre at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut was founded by Robert Brustein, dean of Yale School of Drama, in 1966, with the goal of facilitating a meaningful collaboration between theatre professionals and talented stud ...

, the play premiered at the company in October 2011. It has been produced extensively across the US and UK, and Anne Kaufmann directed the production in its 2013 off-Broadway debut. The off-Broadway production was a

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Critics' Pick, with Charles Isherwood of the Times describing the play as "extraordinarily fine." Kaufmann received a nod for the

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 ...

for Outstanding Director, while Ben Stanton was nominated for Outstanding Lighting Design. The play also received a 2013

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...

nomination for Outstanding Play, while Maria Dizzia was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Abby.

Plot

The play follows a young American ex-pat couple living in the up-and-coming Belleville neighbourhood of Paris. Abby is an actor-turned-yoga-instructor, while Zack is doing AIDS research with

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, but their life abroad is filled with conflict. ''Belleville'' examines a marriage fraying at the seams and coming undone with unflinching honesty and truth.

Canadian production

The Company Theatre (TCT) brought Herzog's play to Toronto's Berkeley Street Theatre in 2014 in association with Canadian Stage. Helmed by regular TCT collaborator and director Jason Byrne, the show starred TCT co-Artistic Director Allan Hawko in the role of Zack, with Christine Horne returning to TCT to take on the role of Abby. Rounding out the cast as Abby and Zack's Senegalese landlords, Alioune and Amina, are Dalmar Abuzeid and Marsha Regis in their TCT debuts. ''Belleville'' marked Hawko's first return to the theatre since 2009, when he trod the boards in TCT's production of ''

Festen ''The Celebration'' () is a 1998 Danish black comedy-drama film directed by Thomas Vinterberg and produced by Nimbus Film. It tells the story of a family gathering to celebrate their patriarch's 60th birthday, during which a family secret is ...

.'' The creative team included both new and returning TCT collaborators. Yannik Larivée designed the production's costumes and set, while Kevin Lamotte joined the team as the lighting designer. Richard Feren, the sound designer from TCT's production of '' The Test'' (2011), took on both sound design and musical composition, while stage manager Michael Sinclair returned for his second stint with the company.

References

{{reflist Off-Broadway plays