About Time (play)
Encyclopedia
About Time is a theatrical play written by playwright Tom Cole
that debuted in 1990 Off Broadway at the John Houseman Theater. This two-character play featured an elderly couple, identified only as Old Man and Old Woman, chatting and arguing about matters around the subject of death. Directed by Tony Giordano, the play original production starred James Whitmore
and Audra Lindley
, described in a Mel Gussow
review as an "endearing couple" who "act their way through and around the slight play that Tom Cole has created for them". Lindley and Whitmore had been married to each other and divorced in 1979, yet continued to perform with each other on stage.
The play presents four short scenes, titled "Breakfast", "Lunch", "Supper" and "Late Snack", with the play traditionally having an intermission between the second and third sets. Almost of the play revolves around food and meals, its preparation and consumption, set in the kitchen of their condo. The set, designed by Kent Dorsey, included a fully functional kitchen. The Old Woman laments how her advancing age has increased the amount of time she requires to prepare meals for Old Man's demanding appetite, including his favorite dish of chopped vegetables with sour cream, while her need for food has only diminished.
The couple talks about their past, providing some limited insights into the characters, with the Old Man describing how he operated a successful business but regrets not doing more to have helped the needy, though the play provides little about Old Woman and her past or the steps that led her to taking a subservient role in their marriage to her husband. The second-most discussed issue behind food is sex, with Gussow describing in his review how Old Woman believes "that nymphomania may be her mania of choice".
Gussow credited the director and cast for performing beyond the play's flaws, noting how Whitmore was able to play a "foxy pretender" even with his face hidden behind a newspaper, while Lindley combined humor and sweetness in her performance.
The play had been produced at the George Street Playhouse
in New Brunswick, New Jersey
in February 1990 under the tile The Eighties, directed by Gregory S. Hurst with the same cast as Off-Broadway. An earlier version was produced in March 1983 at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
under The Eighties, or Last Love, with Megan Hunt and Emmettt O'Sullivan Moore in the two roles.
Tom Cole (writer)
Charles Thomas "Tom" Cole was a playwright and screenwriter. He wrote the screenplay for Smooth Talk.-Biography:Cole was born in 1933 in Paterson, New Jersey. His father was a labor arbitrator...
that debuted in 1990 Off Broadway at the John Houseman Theater. This two-character play featured an elderly couple, identified only as Old Man and Old Woman, chatting and arguing about matters around the subject of death. Directed by Tony Giordano, the play original production starred James Whitmore
James Whitmore
James Allen Whitmore, Jr. was an American film and stage actor.-Early life:Born in White Plains, New York, to Florence Belle and James Allen Whitmore, Sr., a park commission official, Whitmore attended Amherst Central High School in Snyder, New York, before graduating from The Choate School in...
and Audra Lindley
Audra Lindley
Audra Marie Lindley was an American actress, most famous for her role as landlady Helen Roper on the sitcom Three's Company and its spin-off, The Ropers.-Career:...
, described in a Mel Gussow
Mel Gussow
Melvyn H. Gussow was an American theater critic, movie critic, and author who wrote for The New York Times for 35 years.-Biography:...
review as an "endearing couple" who "act their way through and around the slight play that Tom Cole has created for them". Lindley and Whitmore had been married to each other and divorced in 1979, yet continued to perform with each other on stage.
The play presents four short scenes, titled "Breakfast", "Lunch", "Supper" and "Late Snack", with the play traditionally having an intermission between the second and third sets. Almost of the play revolves around food and meals, its preparation and consumption, set in the kitchen of their condo. The set, designed by Kent Dorsey, included a fully functional kitchen. The Old Woman laments how her advancing age has increased the amount of time she requires to prepare meals for Old Man's demanding appetite, including his favorite dish of chopped vegetables with sour cream, while her need for food has only diminished.
The couple talks about their past, providing some limited insights into the characters, with the Old Man describing how he operated a successful business but regrets not doing more to have helped the needy, though the play provides little about Old Woman and her past or the steps that led her to taking a subservient role in their marriage to her husband. The second-most discussed issue behind food is sex, with Gussow describing in his review how Old Woman believes "that nymphomania may be her mania of choice".
Gussow credited the director and cast for performing beyond the play's flaws, noting how Whitmore was able to play a "foxy pretender" even with his face hidden behind a newspaper, while Lindley combined humor and sweetness in her performance.
The play had been produced at the George Street Playhouse
George Street Playhouse
George Street Playhouse is a theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey, one of the state's preeminent professional theatres committed to the production of new and established plays....
in New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
in February 1990 under the tile The Eighties, directed by Gregory S. Hurst with the same cast as Off-Broadway. An earlier version was produced in March 1983 at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Milwaukee Repertory Theater, founded by Mary Widrig John in 1954, as the Fred Miller Theatre Company, is now located on the east bank of the Milwaukee River in the Patty and Jay Baker Theater Complex at 108 E Wells St, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is home to an eleven member Resident Acting Company...
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
under The Eighties, or Last Love, with Megan Hunt and Emmettt O'Sullivan Moore in the two roles.