''Extremities'' is an

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 tha ...

play by

William Mastrosimone William Mastrosimone (born August 19, 1947) is an American playwright and screenwriter from Trenton, New Jersey. He attended high school at The Pennington School and received a graduate degree in playwriting from Mason Gross School of the Arts, ...

and directed by Robert Allan Ackerman. It opened at the Westside Theatre in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

on December 22, 1982 and ran for 325 performances.

Plot

A young woman, Marjorie, is attacked in her home by a would-be rapist, Raul, and manages to turn the tables on him, tying him up in her fireplace. Her roommates come home to discover the attacker bound with cords, belts and other household items. Terry and Patricia, the roommates, express different points of view about rape in society. Terry, a rape victim herself as a teenager, believes that Raul will not be convicted because a rape did not actually occur and there is no proof. Patricia believes in the judicial system and insists on calling the police. The three friends also turn on each other at various points in the play, due to Raul's knowledge of each through stalking them. For instance, close to the play's opening, Raul reveals to Terry that Marjorie had been having an affair with Terry's boyfriend.

Memorable cast members

Susan Sarandon Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actor. With a career spanning over five decades, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award, in addition to ...

originated the lead role of Marjorie in the 1982 off-Broadway production.

Farrah Fawcett Farrah Fawcett (born Ferrah Leni Fawcett; February 2, 1947 – June 25, 2009) was an American actress. A four-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee and six-time Golden Globe Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she played a ...

later took over the role, establishing herself as a serious actress. Fawcett also appeared in the 1986 film adaptation. Karen Allen also played Marjorie in the stage production, and actresses who have variously played the roommates include

Ellen Barkin Ellen Rona Barkin (born April 16, 1954) is an American actress. Her breakthrough role was in the 1982 film ''Diner'', and in the following years, she had starring roles in films such as '' Tender Mercies'' (1983), '' Eddie and the Cruisers'' (1 ...

, Glenne Headly,

Priscilla Lopez Priscilla Lopez is an American singer, dancer, and actress. She is perhaps best known for originating the role of Diana Morales in ''A Chorus Line''. She has had the distinction of appearing in two Broadway landmarks: one of its greatest hits, t ...

, Deborah Hedwall and

Lorna Luft Lorna Luft (born November 21, 1952) is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of Judy Garland and Sidney Luft, the sister of Joey Luft and the half-sister of Liza Minnelli. Early life Luft was born on November 21, 1952, at Saint Jo ...

. James Russo portrayed the would-be rapist in both the play and its 1986 film adaptation. He was replaced by Thomas G. Waites in the original off-Broadway production.

Lauren Hutton Lauren Hutton (born Mary Laurence Hutton; November 17, 1943) is an American model and actress. Born and raised in the southern United States, Hutton relocated to New York City in her early adulthood to begin a modeling career. Though she was ini ...

played Marjorie in the original Los Angeles production.

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (; born Ilyena Lydia Vasilievna Mironov; 26 July 1945) is an English actor. With a career spanning over six decades of Helen Mirren on screen and stage, screen and stage, List of awards and nominations received by Helen Mirre ...

starred in the London production.

Challenges

Because of the physicality between the two lead roles, injuries were often the norm. It wasn't uncommon to see the lead actress with bandaged and splinted fingers during the run of the play. During one performance of the play, an obsessive fan of Farrah Fawcett was in the audience, and he disrupted the show by asking if she had received the pictures and letters he had mailed her. He was removed from the theatre, and police were only able to issue a summons for

disorderly conduct Disorderly conduct is a crime in most jurisdictions, such as the United States and China. Typically, "disorderly conduct" is a term used to refer to any behavior that is considered unacceptable in a formal, civilized or controlled environment. ...

Awards

*Winner, 1983 Theatre World Award for James Russo as Raul.James Russo - Awards
at

Internet Broadway Database The Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It was conceived and created by Karen Hauser in 1996 and is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade asso ...

Producers

The play was produced by Frank Gero, Mark Gero, Chris Gero, Jason Gero, and Della Koenig.

References

External links

''Extremities''
at Internet off-Broadway Database 1982 plays Off-Broadway plays Plays by William Mastrosimone American plays adapted into films Fiction about rape {{1980s-play-stub