''The Assembled Parties'' 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 ...

written by

Richard Greenberg Richard Greenberg (born February 22, 1958) is an American playwright and television writer known for his subversively humorous depictions of middle-class American life. He has had more than 25 plays premiere on and Off-Broadway in New York City ...

. It relates the story of a Jewish family living on the

Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper We ...

of New York City over a twenty-year period, from 1980 to 2000. The play, which premiered on

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 ...

in 2013, received three

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

nominations, including for Best Play.

Production

The play opened on Broadway at the

Samuel J. Friedman Theatre The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, formerly the Biltmore Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 261 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1925, it was designed by Herbert J. Krapp i ...

in a

Manhattan Theatre Club Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) is a theatre company located in New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. Lynne Meadow has been the company’s Artistic Director and visionary since 1972. Barry Grove joined the company in 19 ...

production on April 17, 2013 after previews from March 21, 2013. Directed by

Lynne Meadow Lynne Meadow is an American theatre producer, director and a teacher. She has been the artistic director of the Manhattan Theatre Club since 1972. Career A cum laude graduate of Bryn Mawr, Meadow attended the Yale School of Drama.

the play featured

Judith Light Judith Ellen Light (born February 9, 1949) is an American actress. She made her professional stage debut in 1970, before making her Broadway debut in the 1975 revival of ''A Doll's House''. Her breakthrough role was in the ABC daytime soap oper ...

as Faye,

Jessica Hecht Jessica Hecht (born June 28, 1965) is an American actress known for her roles as Gretchen Schwartz on ''Breaking Bad'', Susan Bunch on ''Friends'', Carol Mannheim on '' The Boys'', and Karen on ''Special''. She is also known for her expansive ...

as Julie,

Jake Silbermann Jake Silbermann (; born on June 1, 1983) is an American actor, writer and producer. Biography Silbermann was born June 1, 1983, and is a native of New York City. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in theater from Syracuse University,

as Scotty/Tim Vascov, Jonathan Walker as Ben and

Mark Blum Mark Blum (May 14, 1950 – March 25, 2020) was an American actor who worked in theater, film, and television. He found success with a lead role in the 1985 film '' Desperately Seeking Susan,'' which he followed up the next year with a supporting ...

as Mort. The sets were by

Santo Loquasto Santo Richard Loquasto (born July 26, 1944) is an American production designer, scenic designer, and costume designer for stage, film, and dance. Early life and education Loquasto was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on July 26, 1944. Loquas ...

and costumes by

Jane Greenwood Jane Greenwood (born 30 April 1934) is a British costume designer for the stage, television, film, opera, and dance. Born in Liverpool, England, she works both in England and the United States. She has been nominated for the Tony Award for cost ...

. The play, a limited run, extended for a second time to July 7, 2013, and then for a final time, to July 28, 2013. When the play closed on July 28, it had run for 119 performances and 28 previews.

Synopsis

In 1980, the Bascov family gets together to celebrate Christmas. They are Jewish but do not observe their religion. They gather at the large and luxurious

(New York) apartment of Julie, a former teen movie star, and her wealthy husband Ben. Also present are their sons Scotty, recently graduated from college and young Timmy, sick with the flu. Ben's sister Faye, her husband Mort and their daughter, Shelley, arrive. Jeff, a school friend of Scotty, is a visitor. 20 years later, in 2000, the family meets again at Christmas at Julie's apartment. However, now Ben, Mort, and Scotty are dead, and Shelley is estranged. Those present are Julie, who has a fatal illness; Faye, now no longer taking medications; and Jeff, returned from a successful law job in Chicago. Tim (no longer Timmy) comes and goes; he has been forced to leave college and works at a restaurant.

Critical response

Ben Brantley Benjamin D. Brantley (born October 26, 1954) is an American theater critic, journalist, editor, publisher, and writer. He served as the chief theater critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1996 to 2017, and as co-chief theater critic from 2017 t ...

, in his review 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 ...

'', called the play "charming", writing " It is also smart, sad and so impossibly well-spoken you may feel like giving up on conversation.... is an elegy to a breed of woman, a style of living and a genre of theater of which only vestiges remain in frantic, self-promoting New York." The ''USA Today'' reviewer called the play "endearing", writing "By the time Act Two unfolds -- 20 years later, in the same apartment -- we have learned that these folks are all vulnerable to bad choices, the whims of fortune and the simple passing of time." The play received three

nominations: Best Play, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play (Judith Light) and Best Scenic Design of a Play (

). The play received

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 ...

nominations for Outstanding Play, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play (Judith Light), Outstanding Director of a Play, and Outstanding Set Design.

Awards and nominations

The production was recognized with

Drama League Award The Drama League Awards, created in 1922, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing. Each May, the awards ...

nominations for Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play and with two Distinguished Performance Award nominations but did not win. The production received one

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town news ...

nomination. The play earned four 58th

nominations and one win for

as Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play. The play received three

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cere ...

nominations for the 67th Tony Awards, again winning Featured Actress in a Play.

Original Broadway production

References

External links

Listing, Internet Broadway DatabaseManhattan Theatre Club Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Assembled Parties, The 2013 plays Plays by Richard Greenberg Broadway plays Fiction set in 1980 Fiction set in 2000 Plays set in New York City