Christopher Durang - Acting Theatre

Other Stage Appearances:

Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You & The Actor’s Nightmare

Off-Broadway 1981, Durang replaced Jeff Brooks in the roles of Aloysius and George Spelvin during Mr. Brooks’ vacation.

The Hotel Play by Wallace Shawn, directed by John Ferraro.

LaMama Experimental Theatre Club, N.Y.C., August 1981. With Griffin Dunne, Elizabeth McGovern, Wallace Shawn, Ann Lange, Durang, Alice Playten and a cast of literally 40 more people.

More on The Hotel Play

Young Playwrights Festival – Circle Repertory Theatre, April 1983. Presented four plays by writers under 18 - Third Street by Richard Colman, I’m Tired and I Want to Go to Bed by David Torbett, and the following two plays.

A New Approach to Human Sacrifice by Peter Getty, directed by Garland Wright.

Cast: Deborah Rush and Edward Power as the parents, Blanche Baker as daughter, Durang in his “last teen age role” as the son, Greg Germann as another son.

The Birthday Present by Charlie Schulman, directed by John Ferraro.

Cast: Durang as 10 year Wallace, Deborah Rush as his sadistic sister, Jean DeBaer and Bill Moor as his parents. Also with Kim Beaty, Burke Pearson, Novella Nelson, Brian Tarantina.

The Marriage of Bette and Boo – New York Shakespeare Festival, 1985
(By Durang, directed by Jerry Zaks. With Joan Allen, Graham Beckel, Durang, others)

Laughing Wild – Playwrights Horizons, 1987
(By Durang, directed by Ron Lagomarsino. With E. Katherine Kerr, Durang)

UBU by Alfred Jarry, directed by Larry Sloan, Lincoln Center Theatre, May 1989.

Adapted by Larry Sloan, Doug Wright. With Oliver Platt, Jodie Markel, Kristine Nielsen, Olek Krupa, Tom Aulino. Durang played “Ubu’s Conscience,” a part interpolated from other Jarry “Ubu” plays.

Chris Durang and Dawne

with John Augustine and
Sherry Anderson as
"Dawne"

“I used to be a playwright, but it was too hard. I’m hoping that being a lounge singer is easier.” So began Chris Durang’s patter – after his opening song “Bad” segued strangely into “Bali Hai,” with helpful syncronized movement and singing from John Augustine and Sherry Anderson as the entity called “Dawne.”

The act Chris Durang and Dawne was a 10:30 p.m. show at the Criterion Center Nightclub in New York City in 1989 and became a surprise hit, extending several times.

Durang pretended that he and Dawne had been touring the country, playing at Ramada Inns. Some of their songs were rock songs, supposedly to placate their manager, and some were Broadway show tunes and pop standards put into crackpot medleys.

After the Criterion Center version, the show kept coming back. It was featured as part of “Varieties,” a weekly variety show at the Rainbow Room in 1990. In 1991 it was performed at the Bay Street Theatre and the Williamstown Theatre Festival Cabaret. In 1994 the act hosted its own variety show at Caroline’s Comedy Club. And in 1995 an updated version of the act was presented at the Triad Club in Manhattan, winning a Bistro Award shared by all three performers.

Photos left and center: Susan Johann. Photo right: Allison Leach