''Ordinary People'' is a dramatic

stage play A play is a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between characters and is intended for theatrical performance rather than mere reading. The creator of a play is known as a playwright. Plays are staged at various levels, ranging ...

written by American playwright Nancy Pahl-Gilsenan. Gilsenan published the adaptation in 1983, three years after the successful film version was released in 1980. The original novel was published by

Judith Guest Judith Guest (born March 29, 1936) is an American novelist and screenwriter. She was born in Detroit, Michigan and is the great-niece of Poet Laureate Edgar Guest (1881–1959).

in 1976.

Characters

* Conrad Jarrett, a boy in his late teens * Calvin Jarrett, Conrad's father * Beth Jarrett, Conrad's mother * Joe Lanzenby, Conrad's best friend * Stillman, Conrad's swim team acquaintance * Jeannine Pratt, Conrad's girlfriend * Karen Aldrich, Conrad's hospital acquaintance * Doctor Berger, Conrad's psychiatrist * Coach Salan, Conrad's swim coach

Production history

The play is a popular choice for

community theatre Community theatre refers to any Theatre, theatrical performance made in relation to particular Community, communities—its usage includes theatre made by, with, and for a community. It may refer to a production that is made entirely by a communit ...

s and schools, and has been produced around the world. A 1992 production by the Young Artists Ensemble in Thousands, Oaks, California was reviewed by the

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

. Pelican Studios Theatre in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

staged a production in 2004. The Citadel Theatre Company in Lake Forest, Illinois staged a production in 2015 . A reading was held by Almost Adults Productions in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2018. In review of a production in St. Louis, Missouri, the differences from the novel/film and the play were highlighted as "Gilsenan’s adaptation overall stays true to the source material, lifting much of the dialogue directly from the book. However, it also focuses much more on Conrad’s trajectory than that of Calvin and Beth’s. This is a subtle departure from the source material, which alternates between Conrad and Calvin’s points of view.".''Untimeley Death Haunts Family''
accessed 07-28-2023

References

{{reflist American plays Plays based on novels Plays set in Illinois Off-Broadway plays 1983 plays