Sticks and Bones
Sticks and Bones
By David Rabe
Sticks and Bones is a 1971 play by David Rabe. The black comedy focuses on David, a blind Vietnam War veteran who finds himself unable to come to terms with his actions on the battlefield and alienated from his family because they neither can accept his disability nor understand his wartime experience. Rabe explores the conflicted feelings of many civilians during the era by parodying the ideal American family as it was portrayed on the television sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Beneath the perfect facade of the playwright’s fictional Nelson family are layers of prejudice, bigotry, and self-hatred that are peeled away slowly as they interact with their physically and emotionally damaged son and brother.
History
Sticks and Bones was the second play in Rabe’s Vietnam trilogy, following The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel and preceding Streamers. A veteran himself, he wrote it while a graduate student at Villanova University, where it was staged in 1969. The off-Broadway production, directed by Jeff Bleckner, opened on November 7, 1971 at Joseph Papp’s Public Theater, where it ran for 121 performances. The cast included David Selby as David, Tom Aldredge as Ozzie, Elizabeth Wilson as Harriet, Cliff DeYoung as Rick, and Charles Siebert as Father Donald.
Critical reaction and audience response were positive, and Papp decided to move the play uptown. With Drew Snyder replacing Selby but the rest of the cast intact, the Broadway production opened on March 1, 1972 at the John Golden Theatre, where it ran for 246 performances.
In 1973, David Rabe wrote the teleplay for and Robert Downey Sr. directed a CBS television movie based on Rabe’s play. The cast included DeYoung as David, Aldredge as Ozzie, and Anne Jackson as Harriet. The subject matter was so controversial half of the network’s affiliates refused to broadcast the film.[1]
Run
|
Date
|
Type & Version
|
Theatre
|
| Nov 07, 1971– Feb 20, 1972 | Play, Original |
Public Theatre, New York, NY
|
| Mar 01, 1972 – Oct 01, 1972 | Play, Original |
John Golden Theatre, New York, NY
|
| Nov 06, 2014 – Dec 14, 2014 | Play, Revival |
Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre, NYC
|
Trailer from 2014 - The New Group Production
2014 Credits
Cast
| Richard Chamberlain | |
| Nadia Gan | |
| Holly Hunter | |
| Morocco Omari | |
| Bill Pullman | |
| Ben Schnetzer | |
| Raviv Ullman |
Creative
| The New Group, Producer |
| Scott Elliott, Founding Artistic Director |
| David Rabe, Playwright |
| Michael Bodeen, Original Music |
| Rob Milburn, Original Music |
| Scott Elliott, Director |
| Derek McLane, Set Designer |
| Susan Hilferty, Costume Designer |
| Peter Kaczorowski, Lighting Designer |
| Michael Bodeen, Sound Designer |
| Rob Milburn, Sound Designer |
| Olivia Sebesky, Projections Designer |
| Olivia Sebesky, Video Design |
1972 Broadway Credits
Cast
| Tom Aldredge | Ozzie The Family |
| Cliff De Young | Rick The Family |
| Hector Elias | The Sgt. Major |
| Asa Gim | The Girl |
| Charles Siebert | The Priest |
| Drew Snyder | David The Family |
| Elizabeth Wilson | Harriet The Family |
Creative
Produced by The New York Shakespeare Festival (Joseph Papp, Producer)
Associate Producer: Bernard Gersten
Written by David Rabe
Featuring the song “Baby When I Find You” with music by Galt MacDermot with lyrics by David Rabe
Directed by Jeff Bleckner
Scenic Design by Santo Loquasto
Costume Design by Theoni V. Aldredge
Lighting Design by Ian Calderon
Slides Photographed by Joseph Linsalata
Assistant to Mr. Loquasto: Marjorie Kellogg
General Manager: Eugene Wolsk and Emanuel Azenberg
Company Manager: Michael Brandman
Production Stage Manager: David Eidenberg
Assistant Stage Mgr: Tom Gardner
1971 Off Broadway
| Name | Role |
| Tom Aldredge | Ozzie |
| Cliff DeYoung | Rick |
| Hector Elias | The Sgt. Major |
| Asa Gim | The Girl |
| David Selby | David |
| Charles Siebert | The Priest |
| Elizabeth Wilson | Harriet |
Creative
| Joseph Papp, Producer |
| The Public Theater, Producer |
| Bernard Gersten, Associate Producer |
| David Rabe, Playwright |
| Galt MacDermot, Music |
| David Rabe, Lyricist |
| Jeff Bleckner, Director |
| Santo Loquasto, Set Designer |
| Theoni V. Aldredge, Costume Designer |
| Ian Calderon, Lighting Designer |
| Merle Debuskey, Press Representative |
| Bob Ullman, Press Representative |
| David Eidenberg, Stage Manager |
Awards and Nominations
Awards
- 1972 Tony Award for Best Play
- 1972 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play (Elizabeth Wilson)
- 1972 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play (Tom Aldredge)
- 1972 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play (Jeff Bleckner)
- 1972 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design (Santo Loquasto)
- 1972 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Play
- Nominations
- 1972 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play (Jeff Bleckner)
- 1972 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play (Tom Aldredge)
Influence
The play was parodied by Christopher Durang in his 1977 play The Vietnamization of New Jersey.
References
1. Sticks and Bones at the British Film Institute website
External Links
- Sticks and Bones at the Internet Broadway Database
- Sticks and Bones at the Internet off-Broadway Database
- Sticks and Bones (film) at the Internet Movie Database
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Category: Play
