''Jeffrey'' is a 1992 American play by

Paul Rudnick Paul Rudnick (born December 29, 1957) is an American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and essayist. His plays have been produced on and off Broadway theatre, Broadway. He wrote the screenplays for ''Sister Act'', ''Addams Family Values'', Jef ...

. At first no theater would produce the play, because it was described as a comedy about

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

, but after an acclaimed, sold-out run at the tiny WPA Theater in New York City, the show transferred for a commercial run. The play ran from December 31, 1992 to February 14, 1993 at the WPA Theatre.

Productions

The original production opened in January 1993 at the WPA Theatre, directed by

Christopher Ashley Christopher Ashley (born July 6, 1964) is an American stage director. Since 2007, he has been the artistic director of La Jolla Playhouse. Career Ashley graduated from Yale University in 1986, with a Bachelor of Art in Theatre.Donald Holder Donald Holder is an American lighting designer in theatre, opera and dance based in New York. He was born in 1962. He has been nominated for fourteen Tony Awards, winning the 1998 Tony Award for Best Lighting Design as well as the Drama Desk Aw ...

, costume design David C. Woolard, sound design Donna Riley, and wig and hair design David H. Lawrence. The cast starred

John Michael Higgins John Michael Higgins (born February 12, 1963) is an American actor, comedian and game show host whose film credits include Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, the role of David Letterman in HBO's '' The Late Shift'', and a starring role in the ...

(Jeffrey),

Patrick Kerr Patrick Kerr (born January 23, 1956) is an American actor, currently recurring as small town grocer "Mr. Johnson" on Apple TV's "The Big Door Prize" starring Chris O'Dowd. Career Previously, he is best known for his recurring role as Noel She ...

(Man #1 in Bed/Gym Rat/Skip Winkly/Casting Director/Headdress Waiter/Man #2), Darryl Theirse (Man #2 in Bed/Gym Rat/Salesman/Boss/Man #1/Chaps man/Thug #1/Young Priest/Sean), Richard Poe (Man #3 in Bed/Gym Rat/Don/Tim/Dad/Mr. Dan/Chuck Farling),

Bryan Batt Bryan Batt (born March 1, 1963) is an American actor best known for his role in the AMC series '' Mad Men'' as Salvatore Romano, the closeted art director for the Sterling Cooper agency. Primarily a theater actor, he has had a number of starrin ...

(Darius/Man #4 in Bed),

Edward Hibbert Edward Hibbert (born September 9, 1955) is an American-born British actor and literary agent. He played Gil Chesterton in the TV series ''Frasier'', later reprising the role in 2024. He also voiced Zazu in several instalments in ''The Lion Kin ...

(Sterling/Man #5 in Bed), Tom Hewitt (Steve/Man #6 in Bed), and

Harriet Sansom Harris Harriet Sansom Harris (born January 8, 1955) is an American actress known for her theater performances and for her portrayals of Bebe Glazer on ''Frasier'' and Felicia Tilman on ''Desperate Housewives''. Harris won a Tony Award in 2002 as a Fe ...

(Woman in Bed/Showgirl/Ann Marwood Bartle/Debra Moorhouse/Sharon/Mom/Mrs. Marcangelo). Notable replacements included Jeff Hayenga (Jeffrey), Peter Bartlett (Sterling), Anthony M. Brown (Steve), Demitri Corbin (Sean), Anne Lange (Sharon), Keith Langsdale (Don),

Greg Louganis Gregory Efthimios Louganis (; born January 29, 1960) is an American Olympic Diving (sport), diver who won gold medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics, 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics on the springboard and platform. He is the only man and the second ...

(Darius), Albert Macklin (Dave), Theresa McElwee (Sharon), and Scott Whitehurst (Sean). It was later adapted into a film in 1995, written by Rudnick and directed by Ashley, with only Batt reprising his role.

Reviews

Frank Rich Frank Hart Rich Jr. (born June 2, 1949) is an American essayist and liberal op-ed columnist, who held various positions within ''The New York Times'' from 1980 to 2011. He has also produced television series and documentaries for HBO. Rich is ...

of the ''New York Times'' wrote that the show was "the funniest play of this season and maybe last season, too."

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* 1990s LGBTQ literature 1992 plays American plays adapted into films HIV/AIDS in theatre LGBTQ-related plays Off-Broadway plays Plays about actors Plays set in New York City {{1990s-play-stub