Rabbit Hole
Encyclopedia
Rabbit Hole is a play written by David Lindsay-Abaire
. It was the recipient of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
. The play was originally commissioned by South Coast Repertory
and first presented at its Pacific Playwrights Festival
reading series in 2005. It received its first full production in New York
in 2006 and it has also been produced by regional theatres in cities such as Los Angeles
, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The play had its Spanish language premiere in San Juan, Puerto Rico
in the Fall 2010.
The play deals with the ways family members survive a major loss, and includes comedy as well as drama. Cynthia Nixon
won the 2006 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
for her performance as Becca in the New York production, and the play was nominated for several other Tony awards.
Becca—Howie's wife in her late thirties. She is usually a very responsible and sensible person, but makes some harsh decisions throughout the play because of grief. Howie accuses her of subconsciously trying to "erase" Danny by selling the house, packing up his artwork, and getting rid of their dog. Even erasing the most recent home video of Danny.
Howie—Becca's husband in his late thirties. Very caring, but has a hard time dealing with Danny's death, which causes him to be angry and depressed (though he hides it as much as possible)
Nat—Izzy and Becca's mother. Voice of reason for her daughters. She helps Howie and Becca in the moving process and provides motherly experience to Becca. Her son (Becca's brother, Arthur) a heroin addict, died of suicide at the age of 30.
Jason Willette—17-year-old boy who accidentally hit Danny with his car, leading to Danny's death. Lives with his mom; his father's whereabouts are never revealed but the writing suggests he's dead. He enjoys science fiction and writes a story about rabbit holes in Danny's memory
Taz—Dog who Danny followed into the street. Never seen in the play, but heard barking on multiple occasions. Becca doesn't want him (because he reminds her of Danny) but Howie loves him.
Rick and Debbie—friends of Becca and Howie who have a daughter, Emily, Danny's age. Debbie avoids Becca after the accident
Reema—Izzy's friend
Auggie—Izzy's boyfriend, father of her child
stars as Becca Corbett, the character originally played by Nixon. She is also credited as producer of the film. Aaron Eckhart
plays Howie Corbett. John Cameron Mitchell
is director. Other cast members include Dianne Wiest
, Tammy Blanchard
, Giancarlo Esposito
and Sandra Oh
.
Nominations
David Lindsay-Abaire
David Lindsay-Abaire is an American playwright and lyricist. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2007 for his play Rabbit Hole, which also earned several Tony Award nominations.-Early life and education:...
. It was the recipient of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
The Pulitzer Prize for Drama was first awarded in 1918.From 1918 to 2006, the Drama Prize was unlike the majority of the other Pulitzer Prizes: during these years, the eligibility period for the drama prize ran from March 2 to March 1, to reflect the Broadway 'season' rather than the calendar year...
. The play was originally commissioned by South Coast Repertory
South Coast Repertory
South Coast Repertory is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California.Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson and now under the leadership of Artistic Director Marc Masterson and Managing Director Paula Tomei, is widely...
and first presented at its Pacific Playwrights Festival
Pacific Playwrights Festival
The Pacific Playwrights Festival , a national forum for playwrights and theatre leaders, is dedicated to developing and producing new American plays. It is held every summer at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California....
reading series in 2005. It received its first full production in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 2006 and it has also been produced by regional theatres in cities such as Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The play had its Spanish language premiere in San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
in the Fall 2010.
The play deals with the ways family members survive a major loss, and includes comedy as well as drama. Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Ellen Nixon is an American actress, known for her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series Sex and the City . She has received two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and a Grammy Award....
won the 2006 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. The award has been presented since 1947, and is for performance in new productions or revivals.-1940s:...
for her performance as Becca in the New York production, and the play was nominated for several other Tony awards.
Characters (in order of appearance)
Izzy—Becca's irresponsible but well-wishing sister. Unwed but in a relationship with Auggie. She is pregnant throughout the duration of the play. This creates tension between her and Becca because Becca thinks it's not fair that Izzy has a child and she doesn't.Becca—Howie's wife in her late thirties. She is usually a very responsible and sensible person, but makes some harsh decisions throughout the play because of grief. Howie accuses her of subconsciously trying to "erase" Danny by selling the house, packing up his artwork, and getting rid of their dog. Even erasing the most recent home video of Danny.
Howie—Becca's husband in his late thirties. Very caring, but has a hard time dealing with Danny's death, which causes him to be angry and depressed (though he hides it as much as possible)
Nat—Izzy and Becca's mother. Voice of reason for her daughters. She helps Howie and Becca in the moving process and provides motherly experience to Becca. Her son (Becca's brother, Arthur) a heroin addict, died of suicide at the age of 30.
Jason Willette—17-year-old boy who accidentally hit Danny with his car, leading to Danny's death. Lives with his mom; his father's whereabouts are never revealed but the writing suggests he's dead. He enjoys science fiction and writes a story about rabbit holes in Danny's memory
Other characters mentioned
Danny—Killed at age 4. Son of Becca and Howie. Heard on a video Howie watches at night. He is on a beach in the video.Taz—Dog who Danny followed into the street. Never seen in the play, but heard barking on multiple occasions. Becca doesn't want him (because he reminds her of Danny) but Howie loves him.
Rick and Debbie—friends of Becca and Howie who have a daughter, Emily, Danny's age. Debbie avoids Becca after the accident
Reema—Izzy's friend
Auggie—Izzy's boyfriend, father of her child
New York production
Actors:- Becca—Cynthia NixonCynthia NixonCynthia Ellen Nixon is an American actress, known for her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series Sex and the City . She has received two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and a Grammy Award....
- Howie—John SlatteryJohn SlatteryJohn M. Slattery, Jr. is an American actor and director, best known for his role as Roger Sterling on AMC's series Mad Men. He has been nominated for many awards, and has won two SAG Awards with the Mad Men ensemble....
- Nat—Tyne DalyTyne DalyTyne Daly is an American stage and screen actress, widely known for her work as Detective Mary Beth Lacey in the television series Cagney & Lacey and as Maxine Gray in the television series Judging Amy. She is also known for her role as Alice Henderson in television series Christy...
- Jason—John Gallagher, Jr.John Gallagher, Jr.John Howard Gallagher, Jr. is an American actor and musician perhaps best known for originating the role of Moritz Stiefel in Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater's rock musical Spring Awakening...
- Izzy—Mary Catherine Garrison
Film adaptation
The movie adaptation premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 2010 and received a limited theatrical release on December 2010. Nicole KidmanNicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
stars as Becca Corbett, the character originally played by Nixon. She is also credited as producer of the film. Aaron Eckhart
Aaron Eckhart
Aaron Edward Eckhart is an American film and stage actor. Born in California, he moved to England at the age of 13, when his father relocated the family. Several years later, he began his acting career by performing in school plays, before moving to Sydney, Australia, for his high school senior year...
plays Howie Corbett. John Cameron Mitchell
John Cameron Mitchell
John Cameron Mitchell is an American writer, actor, and director. He is best known for his motion pictures Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus and Rabbit Hole.- Early life:...
is director. Other cast members include Dianne Wiest
Dianne Wiest
Dianne Wiest is an American actress. She has had a successful career on stage, television, and film, and has won two Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Wiest has also been nominated for a BAFTA Award.-Early life:...
, Tammy Blanchard
Tammy Blanchard
Tammy Blanchard is an American actress. She has worked primarily in films and television, making her professional start in the soap opera Guiding Light...
, Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito is a Danish-born American film and television actor and director.-Early life:Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to an Italian father and African-American mother. His mother was an opera and nightclub singer from Alabama, who once appeared on the same...
and Sandra Oh
Sandra Oh
Sandra Oh is a Canadian actress. She is best known for the role of Dr. Cristina Yang on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, for which she has won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award. She also played notable roles in the feature films Under the Tuscan Sun and Sideways, and had a supporting role on the...
.
Awards and nominations
Awards- Pulitzer Prize for Drama
- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play – Cynthia Nixon
Nominations
- Tony Award for Best Play
- Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play – Tyne Daly
- Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play – Daniel Sullivan
- Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a Play – John Lee Beatty