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Period of Adjustment

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  4w, 4m

Tennessee Williams

The first full-length comedy by the playwright whom many consider to be the finest of our times. "It is, quite simply, a resounding success. It has warmth and wisdom, and hilarious good humor…" — NY Journal-American

Period of Adjustment

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w, 4m
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary
As described in The New York Times: "Mr. Williams is telling the story of two marriages at points of acute crisis. One couple has just broken up after five years together. The other has not been able to come to terms in one day of wedlock. Both couples are living through a period of adjustment. The phrase is tinged with irony. The play examines the sources of the crisis. Ralph Bates, a former war hero, has in-law trouble. George Haverstick, a war buddy who unexpectedly visits him on Christmas Eve with his bride of a day, has the shakes; his difficulty seems to be a fear of impotence. The end is happy, as comedy requires. The four go to bed—in the right combinations." In calling his play a "serious comedy," Mr. Williams puts his finger on its most unique aspect, for this is a work which combines a humorous viewpoint with deep-seated concern for a very real, human situation.
History

Period of Adjustment premiered on Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theatre in November 1960 under the direction of George Roy Hill.

Performing Groups
  • Setting Ralph Bates' home in the suburb of a mid-southern city.

Media

REVIEWS

"The first full-length comedy by the playwright whom many consider to be the finest of our times. It is, quite simply, a resounding success. It has warmth and wisdom, and hilarious good humor…" —NY Journal-American

"There are lines that sparkle with freshness of insight. There are scenes that erupt with laughter. There are affecting passages of barely articulated tenderness." — The New York Times

"It's a believable evening, it's probably even a wise one. And the heart, which the author has plainly got, is wonderfully protected by humor." —NY Herald-Tribune

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.
    This title may have restrictions in place for London based productions. Please submit a licence request to confirm specific availability.

Scripts

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Authors

Tennessee Williams

Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) explored passion with daring honesty and forged a poetic theatre of raw psychological insight that shattered conventional proprieties and transformed the American stage. The autobiographical The Glass Menagerie brought what Mr. Williams called “ ...
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