# Hey Theatre Types -- Recommend A Play For Me **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 14, 2006, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-theatre-types-recommend-a-play-for-me/352604 "2006-04-14T01:05:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-theatre-types-recommend-a-play-for-me/352604/1 "2006-04-14T01:05:08Z")
My friends and I want to put something together this summer, and I’m having a hard time thinking of the right show to suggest. Here’s what I’m looking for: 1. A smallish cast, maybe six or seven tops, but no fewer than five. Male-heavy is preferable. And it should be an ensemble, where all the parts are roughly equivalent in size. Ideally, too, none of the roles should require very young or very old actors. 2. Something talky and witty, like Stoppard or Christopher Hampton. 3. Something that’s not set-, props-, or costume-intensive. Anyone have any suggestions? Assume that royalties aren’t an issue (although obviously we’d prefer lower royalties if possible). ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-theatre-types-recommend-a-play-for-me/352604/2 "2006-04-14T13:38:34Z")
I’ll give this one bump in case it got lost in the shuffle last night. ---
**Author:** ![Campion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-theatre-types-recommend-a-play-for-me/352604/3 "2006-04-14T14:24:22Z")
I was going to suggest my favorite O’Neill play, _The Iceman Cometh_, but I think the cast is too big (ten, maybe?). It is man-heavy, though; I think there are only two women. Set is just a bar, so it can be done very minimally. It’s talky, but it’s also a downer. But, like I said, I think the cast is too big. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-theatre-types-recommend-a-play-for-me/352604/4 "2006-04-14T14:31:21Z")
I thought you would get more responses for this, but you haven’t, so I’ll offer the one I thought of: Christopher Durang’s\* Beyond Therapy\*. 4 men, 2 women. The roles are different sizes, and you would have to buy the rights from Samuel French, but it’s a pretty funny play. You might look into other plays by Durang as well. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-theatre-types-recommend-a-play-for-me/352604/5 "2006-04-14T14:45:35Z")
> [@Gadarene](#): > > 1. Something talky and witty, like Stoppard or Christopher Hampton. > > 2. Something that’s not set-, props-, or costume-intensive. > > Anyone have any suggestions? Assume that royalties aren’t an issue (although obviously we’d prefer lower royalties if possible). My husband just closed a run of **The Boys Next Door** which the story of four men who live in a group home and their liason. I think it’s six men, two women. Very heartwarming and cute…and heartbreaking…but nothing very deep or controversial. ---
**Author:** ![Rachael\_Rage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-theatre-types-recommend-a-play-for-me/352604/6 "2006-04-14T15:59:34Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > I thought you would get more responses for this, but you haven’t, so I’ll offer the one I thought of: Christopher Durang’s\* Beyond Therapy\*. 4 men, 2 women. The roles are different sizes, and you would have to buy the rights from Samuel French, but it’s a pretty funny play. You might look into other plays by Durang as well. I was going to suggest Durang as well. Very funny stuff. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-theatre-types-recommend-a-play-for-me/352604/7 "2006-04-14T16:08:46Z")
If your cast can sing, [\*\*The Fantasticks \*\*](http://thefantasticks.com/webpages/home.html) is always well received. There is one definitely female character and a second one that could be. The rest (5 or 6) are male. Set dressing can be very minimal. Street clothes work as costumes. Very few props are needed. The only essestial prop is the masquerade mask in act 2. Everything else could be mimed if necessary. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-theatre-types-recommend-a-play-for-me/352604/8 "2006-04-14T16:10:14Z")
> [@anyrose](#): > > If your cast can sing, [\*\*The Fantasticks \*\*](http://thefantasticks.com/webpages/home.html) is always well received. There is one definitely female character and a second one that could be. The rest (5 or 6) are male. > Set dressing can be very minimal. Street clothes work as costumes. Very few props are needed. The only essestial prop is the masquerade mask in act 2. Everything else could be mimed if necessary. [more info here](http://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/albm44.html) ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-theatre-types-recommend-a-play-for-me/352604/9 "2006-04-14T16:21:18Z")
> [@Gadarene](#): > > 1. A smallish cast, maybe six or seven tops, but no fewer than five. Male-heavy is preferable. And it should be an ensemble, where all the parts are roughly equivalent in size. Ideally, too, none of the roles should require very young or very old actors. > > 2. Something talky and witty, like Stoppard or Christopher Hampton. > > 3. Something that’s not set-, props-, or costume-intensive. > > Anyone have any suggestions? Assume that royalties aren’t an issue (although obviously we’d prefer lower royalties if possible). I recommend something by Neil Simon, preferably [Rumors](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0394587995/sr=8-1/qid=1145031447/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-5792933-0083061?%5Fencoding=UTF8). It’s been a while since I read it (should do this tonight, now that you remind me), but the cast size hovers around 7, it’s male heavy, and can be staged with suits and dresses (dinner party setting). A really amazing play that gets less love than other Simon fare while it is at least as good. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-theatre-types-recommend-a-play-for-me/352604/10 "2006-04-14T16:28:35Z")
> [@](#): > > Story Theatre (for which I could not find a reasonable link) is improv style fairy tales. Between each vignette is a song. It had a short run off broadway in the early 70s, and it was a TV series featuring Paul Sand in the mid 70s ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-theatre-types-recommend-a-play-for-me/352604/11 "2006-04-14T16:51:33Z")
Steve Martin’s [Picasso at the Lapin Agile](http://www.carpentersquare.com/shows/show_picasso.htm) may be worth a look. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-theatre-types-recommend-a-play-for-me/352604/12 "2006-04-14T17:13:32Z")
> [@don't ask](#): > > Steve Martin’s [Picasso at the Lapin Agile](http://www.carpentersquare.com/shows/show_picasso.htm) may be worth a look. I came in here to mention this, so I’ll second it. Is _Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead_ a possibility?