Theater District

Theater District by Richard Kramer

(0)
Productions (8)
Comedy/Drama
|
90 - 105 minutes
1 W, 6 M,  (7-8 actors possible: exactly 1 W, 6-7 M)
Content Notes: Adult language and content
Set: Unit set, minimally suggesting a bedroom, kitchen, gymnasium, restaurant, emergency room, and rooftop.

To get better acquainted with his father, fifteen-year-old Wesley has moved in with him and his partner George, but he's having more success connecting with George. When Wesley poses an early morning question to the pair about whether homosexuality is a choice, it sets off a tumultuous day, during the course of which Wesley and his best friend are gay-bashed as a result of his friend's recent coming out. Wesley's mom, step-father, father, and George meet to talk with him and each other, and long-suppressed suspicions and prejudices finally come to the surface as they tiptoe around the question of whether Wesley himself is gay. A warm and moving examination of family, self-acceptance, and love.

Pricing Information

Min. Performance Fee* $85
Standard Edition $13.99
Stage Manager Edition $24.99

*The per performance fee begins at $85. Your per performance fee will be provided during the ordering process.

Play Details

To get better acquainted with his father, fifteen-year-old Wesley has moved in with him and his partner George, but he's having more success connecting with George. When Wesley poses an early morning question to the pair about whether homosexuality is a choice, it sets off a tumultuous day, during the course of which Wesley and his best friend are gay-bashed as a result of his friend's recent coming out. Wesley's mom, step-father, father, and George meet to talk with him and each other, and long-suppressed suspicions and prejudices finally come to the surface as they tiptoe around the question of whether Wesley himself is gay. A warm and moving examination of family, self-acceptance, and love.

  • Comedy/Drama
  • |
  • 90 - 105 minutes
  • 1 W, 6 M,  (7-8 actors possible: exactly 1 W, 6-7 M)
  • Content Notes: Adult language and content
  • Set: Unit set, minimally suggesting a bedroom, kitchen, gymnasium, restaurant, emergency room, and rooftop.

Published Reviews

"...a sensitive and funny coming-of-age story that examines what happens when an elastic extended family snaps back on itself... Droll and wrenching, Kramer's comedy-drama is practically perfect..."

F. Kathleen Foley, Los Angeles Times

"Plays dealing with the topic of gay parenting are rare, and those that pack resonant messages for both gay and straight audiences are even rarer... Theater District is a deeply moving and warmly human new work that uses an understated approach to make powerful points..."

Les Spindle, Frontiers Magazine (Los Angeles)

"Like the best TV drama, it draws accessibly but very cleverly on our current urban fears -- these liberal and insecure New Yorkers worry constantly that the world outside Midtown is a place they cannot understand. Its narrative is immediate and clear. There are funny lines with wicked bite. And it manages to explore the travails and joys of gay parenting without painting obvious bogeymen..."

Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

"If Theater District is any evidence, we have just heard from a powerful new voice in American theater..."

Rick Reed, Windy City Times

"...tackles enough complex issues with wit, sophistication and delicacy to make one long for more...the characters are so rich and intriguing..."

Neal Weaver, LA Weekly

"...feels like something E.M. Forster might have written had he lived in Clintonian Manhattan instead of Edwardian London..."

James Taylor, Theatre Talk (NPR)

Production History

SEP 25, 2019 - SEP 27, 2019
Oak Park and River Forest High School
Oak Park, IL United States
Oak Park and River Forest High School Oak Park, IL United States
JAN 22, 2010 - FEB 06, 2010
Allens Lane Art Center
Philadelphia, PA United States
Allens Lane Art Center Philadelphia, PA United States
MAR 01, 2009 - MAR 31, 2009
Albuquerque High School
Albuquerque, NM United States
Albuquerque High School Albuquerque, NM United States
MAY 23, 2006 - JUL 02, 2006
Artists Repertory Theatre
Portland, OR United States
Artists Repertory Theatre Portland, OR United States
SEP 30, 2005 - OCT 29, 2005
SpeakEasy Stage
Boston, MA United States
SpeakEasy Stage Boston, MA United States
MAY 19, 2004 - AUG 01, 2004
Black Dahlia Theatre
Los Angeles, CA United States
Black Dahlia Theatre Los Angeles, CA United States
JAN 01, 2004 - JAN 18, 2004
Boulevard Theatre
Milwaukee, WI United States
Boulevard Theatre Milwaukee, WI United States
OCT 22, 2002 - OCT 02, 2002
Steppenwolf Theatre/About Face Theatre
Chicago, IL United States
Steppenwolf Theatre/About Face Theatre Chicago, IL United States
No upcoming productions.
MAY 23, 2006 - JUL 02, 2006
Artists Repertory Theatre
Portland, OR United States
Artists Repertory Theatre Portland, OR United States
SEP 30, 2005 - OCT 29, 2005
SpeakEasy Stage
Boston, MA United States
SpeakEasy Stage Boston, MA United States
MAY 19, 2004 - AUG 01, 2004
Black Dahlia Theatre
Los Angeles, CA United States
Black Dahlia Theatre Los Angeles, CA United States
JAN 01, 2004 - JAN 18, 2004
Boulevard Theatre
Milwaukee, WI United States
Boulevard Theatre Milwaukee, WI United States
OCT 22, 2002 - OCT 02, 2002
Steppenwolf Theatre/About Face Theatre
Chicago, IL United States
Steppenwolf Theatre/About Face Theatre Chicago, IL United States

Awards (1)

Joseph Jefferson Award, Best New Play (Chicago, 2003)