What the Butler Saw is a farcical play by English playwright, John Kingsley “Joe” Orton. First performed in 1969, after Orton’s death, the play is about a doctor in a psychiatric home who tries to seduce the woman he wants for a secretary, and their attempts to hide an incident during the interview. The play was Orton’s attempt to revive comedy and farce in theatre at the time. Orton is remembered for his daring attempts to shock and amuse audiences; darkly farcical modern plays are known as “Ortonesque.” His first novel, Head to Toe, was published posthumously.
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley has set the casting for its 20th Anniversary New Works Festival, a unique program that offers an extraordinary opportunity for audiences to experience new plays and musicals in their early stages of development.
Hundreds of lovers of new theatre will gather this August for an advance look at tomorrow's hits at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's 20th Anniversary New Works Festival. This unique festival returns to Palo Alto's Lucie Stern Theatre with its extraordinary opportunity for audiences to experience new plays and musicals in their early stages of development and see their evolution over multiple performances.
Next month, 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond. A recipient of the 2022 Tony Awards Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, 54 Below is a non-profit organization with a mission to preserve and expand the art of the cabaret, honor the music of Broadway, and provide an unparalleled experience to diverse communities.
Next month, 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond. A recipient of the 2022 Tony Awards Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, 54 Below celebrates Broadway musicals and writers of the past and present, promoting an ongoing engagement with their work.
The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the showcase of new independent work selected across the Feature Film, Short Film, Indie Series and New Frontier categories for the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.
In this week's Theater Stories, we are learning about the Neil Simon Theatre! Learn about who Neil Simon was, what the theater was originally named, which Broadway stars made their debuts there, and more!
Happy Gay Pride! BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the 101 greatest LGBTQ songs and anthems from 1920-2020. See if your favorite songs or artists made the grade!
BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the 101 greatest scenes in cinema from 1901 to 2020. See if your favorite movie moments made the list!
BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the greatest theatrical works (non-musical) from 1920-2020; see if your favorites made the list!
Ted Sperling, Artistic Director of MasterVoices, announced details of the acclaimed ensemble's 78th season, celebrating the joy of choral singing and the power of the human voice to unite, inspire and connect since 1941. Highlights include three major musical presentations at top venues, including a New York premiere, and the World Premiere of a new work, commissioned by the Company. Throughout the season there will be collaborations with leading singers, artists, ensembles and organizations, some who are familiar with and others who are new to the Company.
I must applaud Everyman Theatre's Artistic Director Vince Lancisi for having the brilliant idea of ending its season with two plays by Caleen Sinnette Jennings in repertory: QUEENS GIRL IN THE WORLD and QUEENS GIRL IN AFRICA. What a genius!
City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, announces comedy superstar Tom Green (MTV's The Tom Green Show ), International blues artist Joanne Shaw Taylor and more.
Composer Stephen Endelman has acquired the rights to the iconic 1970s ITV drama Upstairs Downstairs. The show, the precursor to DOWNTON ABBEY that aired for more than ten years, is being revived as a stage musical.
To celebrate the life of Victoria Woodhull and promote ONWARD VICTORIA, the team created a hashtag: #34DaysOfVictoriaWoodhull. The first female Presidential candidate was only 34 when she ran for President in 1872. For 34 days, facts from her remarkable life were shared. BroadwayWorld has exclusive access to all 34 below!
Duck and cover, make it to high ground, stop, drop and roll, batten down the hatches -- prepare to weather the storm! BroadwayWorld has learned that the new musical DISASTER! will begin performances on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 and officially open on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 at Broadway's Nederlander Theatre (208 West 41st Street).
Award-winning playwright Richard Bean unveils the second of his three world premieres to be staged this year, and renews his collaboration with acclaimed director Max Stafford-Clark for Pitcairn at Chichester, prior to London and a national tour.
Joe Orton's frenetic farce, What the Butler Saw, opens at Theater at Monmouth tonight, August 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Joe Orton's frenetic farce, What the Butler Saw, opens at Theater at Monmouth on Friday, August 1 at 7:30 p.m. The perfect blend of Oscar Wilde's wit, Monty Python's physical comedy, and Benny Hill's lewdness, What the Butler Saw bursts with mistaken identities, catastrophic complications, and rapid-fire dialogue. Orton's ribald examination of societal attitudes toward sexuality is a rampaging celebration of licentiousness and free-will.
Award-winning playwright Richard Bean unveils the second of his three world premieres to be staged this year, and renews his collaboration with acclaimed director Max Stafford-Clark for Pitcairn at Chichester, prior to London and a national tour.
Point Park University's Conservatory Theatre Company will produce five works, including the world premiere of a new musical about the life of the legendary Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, in the 2014-2015 season.
Theater at Monmouth kicks off its 45th Anniversary Season with the return of Black Fly Follies today, July 5 at 7:30 pm.
Theater at Monmouth kicks off its 45th Anniversary Season with the return of Black Fly Follies on Saturday, July 5 at 7:30 pm.
The British are coming to Monmouth for Theater at Monmouth's 45th season. The British Invasion, running from June 28 through September 28, 2014, features a line-up of plays from England's greatest playwrights.
I am not sure what Shepard is doing in Shepherdstown. The Contemporary American Theater Festival held there is dedicated to performing 'new American plays.' There's nothing new to me about Sam Shepard's play Heartless; it seems distinctly old hat. I went back to a review I wrote of one of his plays for my college newspaper in 1970, and a number of the things I wrote about that play (The Holy Ghostly) could be said about Heartless. I commented how characters migrate into each other, how they become composites of various characters, how there is no predictable logic to their interactions, and how the drama loses the sense of being story-telling about distinct persons. I compared what Shepard did to abstract painting. And, on the evidence of Heartless, it's still true.
1970 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
1981 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
1989 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
2000 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
2012 | West End |
West End |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
1970 | Obie Awards | Best Foreign Play | Joe Orton |
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