''Significant Other'' is an American play written by
Joshua Harmon, which premiered
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 ...
in 2015, followed by a
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 Stre ...
production at the Booth Theatre in Spring 2017.
Productions
The play was produced Off-Broadway by the
Roundabout Theatre Company
The Roundabout Theatre Company is a nonprofit organization, non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres.
History
The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fr ...
at the Laura Pels Theatre. The play premiered on May 16, 2015, in previews, officially on June 18, and closed on August 16, 2015.
Directed by Trip Cullman, the cast featured
Gideon Glick
Gideon Glick (born June 6, 1988) is an American actor. His Broadway work includes originating the roles of Ernst in the musical '' Spring Awakening,'' Jimmy-6 in '' Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark'', Jordan Berman in ''Significant Other,'' and Di ...
as Jordan, with
John Behlmann, Sas Goldberg,
Lindsay Mendez
Lindsay Michelle Mendez (born March 1, 1981) is an American actress and singer, best known for her work in American musical theatre. She won the 2018 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Carrie Pipperidge in a ...
,
Carra Patterson, Luke Smith, and
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nominee
Barbara Barrie
Barbara Barrie (born Barbara Ann Berman; May 23, 1931) is an American actress and author.
Her film breakthrough came in 1964 with her performance as Julie in the landmark film '' One Potato, Two Potato'', for which she won the Best Actress Awa ...
, in her return to the stage at age 84.
[Sommer, Elyse]
"A CurtainUp Review. 'Significant Other'"
CurtainUp, June 12, 2015
The play transferred to
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 Stre ...
on February 14, 2017 (which the production billed as "Singles Awareness Day"), and it officially opened on March 2 at the
Booth Theatre
The Booth Theatre is a Broadway theater at 222 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1913, the theater was designed by Henry Beaumont Herts in the It ...
. The Off-Broadway cast and creative team remained intact, with
Rebecca Naomi Jones
Rebecca Naomi Jones (born March 31, 1981) is an American actress and singer best known for her performances in the Broadway rock musicals '' Passing Strange'', '' American Idiot'', and '' Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' as well as being the first ...
replacing Carra Paterson in the role of Vanessa. It marked the Broadway debuts for both playwright Harmon and director Cullman. The production ended its limited Broadway engagement on April 23, 2017, after a run of 79 performances. The Broadway production was filmed by
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...
for the Performing Arts at
Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5  ...
's Theatre on Film and Tape Archive. The production team included: Scenic Design by
Mark Wendland, Costume Design by
Kaye Voyce, Lighting Design by
Japhy Weideman, and Sound Design by
Daniel Kluger.
The production was staged at the
Fugard Theatre
The District Six Homecoming Center, formerly the Fugard Theater, is a small theater in Cape Town, South Africa. It was opened in the District Six suburb in February 2010. The theater closed in March 2021 and was handed over to the District Six Mu ...
in Cape Town, South Africa with the following cast:
Gabriel Meltz, Dominique Maher,
Lesoko Seabe, Lucy Tops,
Michèle Maxwell,
Roberto Kyle and
Ryan de Villiers. The production was directed by Greg Karvellas
The play is currently licensed to professional and amateur theaters through
Samuel French
Samuel French (1821–1898) was an American entrepreneur who, together with British actor, playwright and theatrical manager Thomas Hailes Lacy, pioneered in the field of theatrical publishing and the licensing
A license (American Englis ...
. Prior to its Broadway run, it was produced by the SpeakEasy Stage Company in Boston, Massachusetts, from September to October 2016.
[Wallenberg, Christopher]
"One is the loneliest number in Harmon’s ‘Significant Other’"
''The Boston Globe'', September 8, 2016 Harmon's previous play, the comedy ''Bad Jews'', was one of the most-produced plays in America in the 2014–2015 season.
Synopsis
The play concerns the lives of four friends in their late 20s and their search for relationships in 21st century New York City. Playwright
Joshua Harmon explained the premise by saying: “How do you make life work for yourself when you feel that you’re not living the life you’re supposed to be living or want to be living? And how do you deal with that when the changes that you need to make are in some ways outside of your control?”
Reception
''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' theater critic Charles Isherwood gave the play a rave review in its Off-Broadway premiere, calling it "an absolutely wonderful new play. Entirely delightful, richly funny and heart-stirring."
The play was included in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' Top Ten Productions of 2015.
The ''CurtainUp'' reviewer wrote "Harmon has once again proved himself to be a wonderful wordsmith and astute chronicler of the quandaries faced by the generation."
[
When reviewing a November 2017 production of the play produced by About Face Theatre Company in Chicago, '']Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' critic Chris Jones wrote, "''Significant Other'' is both a good night out — a show ideal for a Friday night with pals after a few drinks — and a quite sophisticated exploration of the complex and changing dynamic between gay men and the women who love them. A black comedy about a painful transition that hits many of us urbanites in our late 20s or early 30s and goes a long way toward explaining why weddings can be such fraught affairs for anyone stuck in a tux or matching crinoline."
References
{{reflist
External links
Internet Broadway Database
2015 plays
American plays
Comedy plays
Off-Broadway plays
Broadway plays
Plays set in New York City