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The time is the mid '70s, the place a city in upstate New York. John, a playwright, returns to his family's house, bringing with him a new play which he has written about them. His purpose is to obtain their permission to proceed with production, but his wealthy, very proper parents are cautious from the outset. For them the theatre is personified by the gracious, comforting era of the Lunts and Ina Claire, and they are disturbed by the bluntness of modern plays. And there is also John's sister, Nina, to contend with, although her reservations have to do with the fact that John has given her character such a minor role. Their confrontation takes place during the ritual of the cocktail hour, and as the martinis flow so do the recriminations and revelations, both funny and poignant. In the end it is evident that what John has written is closer to the truth than his family has heretofore been willing to admit, and that beneath their WASP reserve his parents and siblings are as beset with uncertainties and frustrations as their presumed "inferiors." But while they seem shackled by the past, and tantalized by an alien future, the ties which bind them do prevail—surmounting disputes and disappointments and, with unfailing warmth and humor, converting pained resignation into cautious but hopeful anticipation.
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Monty Brigham
reviewed Cocktail Hour: A Comedy on November 22, 2019
Cocktail Hour: A Comedy
Read along with "The Perfect Party" in the collection, "TCH and Two Other Plays".
In the Days of Yore A R Gurney would be known as "Neil Simon the Lesser". God he cranked them out! Theatre by numbers - has not aged well. Keep the number of characters simple - 4 here (5, if brother on phone is counted). Throw in some Cultural References, so the audience can pat itself on the back for catching the jokes. Some self-referential bits. Oh, and in my volume, he wrote his own Introduction, and starts it out rather more-or-less comparing himself to Shakespeare!
OK, how did I come to this? Well, in my F&B reading, came across a reference to this play. Best point of the play - "cocktail hour" is family, "cocktail party" is outsiders included. And, yes, this will drop me down a rabbithole to Eliot's play ("The Cocktail Party") and the Euripides play he based his play on.
"The Perfect Party" - throw in some Wilde and French farce.
"The Cocktail Hour" - WASP, non-NY, family angst. Frost with a touch of Marxist and Freudian subtext. Make jokes about critics. One of his other good points - theatre critics are vicious, while book critics all seem to be buddies reviewing each other's books. Everyone is happy (or semi-happy, and paid off by big-pockets daddy) by the end. I can see the surburbanite filled matinees just eating this stuff up.
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Add Cocktail Hour: A Comedy, The time is the mid '70s, the place a city in upstate New York. John, a playwright, returns to his family's house, bringing with him a new play which he has written about them. His purpose is to obtain their permission to proceed with production, but his , Cocktail Hour: A Comedy to the inventory that you are selling on WonderClubX
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Add Cocktail Hour: A Comedy, The time is the mid '70s, the place a city in upstate New York. John, a playwright, returns to his family's house, bringing with him a new play which he has written about them. His purpose is to obtain their permission to proceed with production, but his , Cocktail Hour: A Comedy to your collection on WonderClub |
