Play Suggestions: Anybody Out There?

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Anybody Out There?

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
Forum Discription: Need help finding a show that's right for your theater? Ask here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2475
Printed Date: 11/25/24 at 4:40am
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Topic: Anybody Out There?

Posted By: mikejmurray
Subject: Anybody Out There?
Date Posted: 6/26/07 at 7:38pm

I was wondering if anyone has put on or seen a production of Anybody Out There by John Patrick... I just read it. Some of it was very funny, other parts seemed a bit forced. Wanted to get some opinions from people who've seen it performed. Does it play well onstage? A lot of the characters seem one demensional in my view. I know it's a comedy and the situation of the play is what drives it, but still... Then again, I've only read through it once.

Replies:

Posted By: Kathy S
Date Posted: 6/27/07 at 12:48am

I haven't read or seen this play, but I can identify with that impression that you are describing of a play that seems "forced" or characters that seem flat or contrived. I think that with comedies sometimes they seem that way when you read them, but if you get a group together and read it aloud, you might see that it really is better than you thought. Or at least that is my experience with some comedy scripts. And sometimes they actually "play" better than they "read".

Posted By: HRF22
Date Posted: 7/28/07 at 4:45am

I also am not familiar with the play but wanted to say that I completely agree with Kathy S. Our season selection process involves reading prospective plays aloud, as a group, in character. The play comes alive that way and, often one finds unexpected humour in the lines which are not always evident when read alone. We also have the prospective director present for the reading.

Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 7/31/07 at 8:28am

Okay - my mind is getting feeble and all the titles of all the plays I've ever known are getting jumbled.

Isn't "Anybody Out There" a little one-act play by William Inge? I always thought the characters were quite natural (?) .