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680:" theater group, going on to have a nationwide tour and performing continually in theaters around Japan ever since, including the internationally renowned Kaze Theater Troupe. Its success illustrates the play's ability to harmonize with different theatrical variations as well as cultural traditions.
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critic
Sylviane Gold called the production a "splendid revival", and wrote: "...it is strange to say about a play that burst into New York from Chicago in 1985 on the strength of the testosterone-fueled acting of the Steppenwolf Theater Company" that it can be directed "with as much attention to the
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The
Steppenwolf productions in London and the United States helped establish Kessler's status as a major American playwright as well as the company's signature "rock and roll" brand of theatre. To help highlight the emotional intensity of Kessler's parable, they featured an assortment of
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Treat kidnaps and ties up a
Chicago gangster named Harold. Harold, an orphan himself, with the prowess of an escape artist, loosens the ties that bind him, turns the tables around, and with gun in hand, puts himself into the role of teacher, healer and surrogate parent.
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With the love and protectiveness of an older brother and an orphan's fear of abandonment, Treat takes away
Phillip's chances to grow up, depriving him of knowledge and forcing him to live in a world of illiteracy and innocence: relegating him to their lost childhood.
655:, by the first sign language theater in the western United States, went on to be a Critic's Choice from the Drama-Logue newspaper and Joseph Dean Anderson's performance as Phillip won him a 6th Annual Ticket Holder's Award under the New Discoveries category.
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while still maintaining its emotional pull and deeply felt sense of reality goes well with what magical realism is understood to be—magical elements blended into a realistic atmosphere in order to access a deeper understanding of reality.
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and "also as theatrical as
Williams. Kessler has something very important to say, and he says it in terms we can't ignore. The biggest message is that we need each other, and that's something the viewer can't ignore...."
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According to
Kessler, "The play has been done everywhere, from Japan to Iceland to Mexico to South America.... It just boggles the mind. It’s amazing: the evolution of the play and its reception in the world."
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Haunted by the death of their mother, he spends his time lying in her closet filled with unworn clothes. Curious about the world, he secretly attempts to understand things by watching reruns of
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As Treat is out stealing to put food on the table, Phillip never leaves the house, thinking he will die from something outside because of a near deadly allergic reaction he had as a child.
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at the
Westside Theatre, running from May 7, 1985 to January 6, 1986, with Mahoney, Kinney, and Anderson reprising their roles. Later, a replacement cast consisting of Steppenwolf member
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The
American theatrical tradition tends not to embrace these perceived contradictions as readily. An expressionistic play is expected to be cerebral and conceptual, not visceral. A
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Further praise for
Kessler's ability to create something with such flexibility, while still taking people on its "emotional journey," came from a 2007 production of
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In Korea, it premiered in 2017. Its revival is in 2019, with 3 female actors playing Harold, Treat, and Philip. This is to be the first gender free version of
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affected people more than any other play I've ever done. I still get mail from it, I still get people stopping me on the street, and it's twenty years later."
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The drama's ability to maintain its inherent emotional pull regardless of its theatrical approach is one of the reasons for its continued success.
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Older brother Treat, brutal and violent, provides for his younger brother
Phillip by being a petty thief—interpreting the role of father.
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production in 1996, "Whatever the medium, the viewer finds it hard not to be drawn into the emotional journey..." This production of
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nominations, for Best Revival of a Play and Best Leading Actor in a Play (Sturridge). The production was originally slated to star
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brothers and the mysterious businessman who befriends them was and remains among the most devastating things I've seen onstage."
171:. Sinise said the play "kicked" the three actors "off into the movie business." John Mahoney, who received the Derwent Award and
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in North Philadelphia—deserted in childhood by an unfaithful father and by the death of their mother.
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713:"No Dead End Ahead! How Lyle Kessler's Orphans Grew Into a Modern Fable & Found a Home on Broadway"
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as Treat, but he departed the production during rehearsals after coming into conflict with Baldwin.
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that states a Knowledge editor's personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic.
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was the first Steppenwolf production to be performed internationally in London, premiering in the
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that the play is "tense, moving and funny as anything you're likely to see." The reviewer said, "
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has been applauded for its lack of dependence on one particular theatrical approach. As said by
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as Harold. The production closed on May 19, 2013 after 37 performances. The play received two
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to be played in the background; the pieces have remained optional for every production since.
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860:"Shia LaBeouf Will Make Broadway Debut Opposite Alec Baldwin in Orphans - Playbill.com"
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is expected to maintain the same logic that one sees in the outside world. But, like
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is woven from mysteries, contradictions and unanswered questions," and concluded, "
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at the Penguin Repertory Company in Stony Point, Rockland County, New York. The
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and wrote, "while one might be tempted to chuckle at Kessler's old-fashioned
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After its Chicago run, the Steppenwolf Theatre Company production premiered
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and underlining words in newspapers and old books he finds lying around.
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did a workshop of the play at the Greenway Court Theatre, Los Angeles;
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has reached many fans beyond the typical theater crowd, counting
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In January through March 1985 the play was produced at Chicago's
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933:. Woodland Park, NJ: North Jersey Media Group. p. B28.
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personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay
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in Fullerton Is a Thought-Provoking Tale of 3 Lost Souls"
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declared, "Lyle Kessler's unassuming tale of two nearly
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is violent, shocking and profane. And it's wonderful."
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Will Bow on Broadway in 2009; Pacino Will Likely Star"
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Internet Off-Broadway Database, accessed June 19, 2023
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wrote it is "just as wise and knowledgeable about the
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Two grown orphan brothers live in an old dilapidated
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726:"THE MATRIX THEATRE COMPANY - "Orphans" (1983)"
253:on April 7, 2013. The production, directed by
616:can move from a hyper realistic state into a
194:and William Wise took over the lead roles.
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927:: Bad Guys and Fine, Old-Fashioned Drama".
491:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
386:as "theater for the senses and emotions."
367:and the 1958 Italian criminal-comedy film
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569:Learn how and when to remove this message
511:Learn how and when to remove this message
351:A 1985 review of Sinise's production, by
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824:olivierawards.com, accessed June 6, 2013
1033:Arnold, Christine (January 25, 1986). "
437:wrote about a 1986 production starring
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489:adding citations to reliable sources
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944:McCulloh, T. H. (August 31, 1999).
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357:, compared the play with the 1955
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923:Wynne, Peter (May 8, 1985). "
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380:The play was described by
370:Big Deal on Madonna Street
111:The Matrix Theatre Company
109:. It premiered in 1983 at
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1139:Plays set in Philadelphia
649:Deaf West Theatre Company
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1037:Could Be Year's Best".
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606:genre in Latin American
549:by rewriting it in an
216:as Actor of the Year.
1134:Plays by Lyle Kessler
1124:Fiction about orphans
955:The Los Angeles Times
730:www.matrixtheatre.com
598:Shakespearean tragedy
389:T.H. McCulloh of the
294:film of the same name
485:improve this section
300:, Albert Finney and
155:, with direction by
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604:, a more prevalent
173:Theatre World Award
153:Steppenwolf Theatre
119:Steppenwolf Theatre
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794:2011-11-07 at the
775:2012-11-11 at the
551:encyclopedic style
538:is written like a
407:Tony Adler of the
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129:Production history
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645:Los Angeles Times
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192:Corey Parker
184:Off-Broadway
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165:Terry Kinney
161:John Mahoney
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107:Lyle Kessler
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31:Lyle Kessler
678:Tokyo style
630:Franz Kafka
439:Judd Nelson
222:Pat Metheny
157:Gary Sinise
146:Paul Lieber
83:, Tragedy,
81:Dark comedy
1104:1983 plays
1098:Categories
930:The Record
870:2012-12-06
694:References
672:In Japan,
612:. The way
421:John Simon
375:dramaturgy
354:The Record
271:Tony Award
261:as Treat,
259:Ben Foster
257:, starred
142:Lane Smith
27:Written by
636:Direction
594:absurdism
501:June 2013
472:does not
318:row house
287:Tom Waits
233:Al Pacino
231:In 2005,
226:Lyle Mays
208:in 1986.
188:Gary Cole
125:in 2013.
1129:Parables
993:April 2,
961:April 2,
909:Playbill
792:Archived
773:Archived
312:Synopsis
283:Lou Reed
202:West End
123:Broadway
1087:Orphans
1035:Orphans
1010:Orphans
980:Orphans
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925:Orphans
888:Orphans
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809:Orphans
789:Mahoney
746:Listing
744:Orphans
685:Orphans
674:Orphans
660:Orphans
653:Orphans
641:Orphans
618:parable
614:Orphans
590:realism
586:Orphans
545:Please
493:removed
478:sources
447:Orphans
443:Orphans
279:Orphans
247:Orphans
204:at the
198:Orphans
177:Orphans
134:Orphans
121:and on
102:Orphans
91:Setting
67:Orphans
63:Subject
58:English
22:Orphans
758:Sinese
596:, and
1022:: 61.
453:Genre
415:feral
399:" as
361:film
77:Genre
71:Crime
1070:Kaze
995:2013
963:2013
476:any
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