John Guare

House of Blue Leaves John Guare

Farce

Characters: 4 male, 6 female

Interior Set

Artie Shaugnessy is a songwriter with visions of glory. Toiling by day as a zoo-keeper, he suffers in seedy lounges by night, plying his wares at piano bars in Queens, New York where he lives with his wife, Bananas. Who is. Much to the chagrin of Artie's downstairs mistress, Bunny Flingus who'll sleep with him anytime but refuses to cook until they are married. On the day the Pope is making his first visit to the city, Artie's son Ronny goes AWOL from Fort Dix stowing a home made-bomb intended to blow up the Pope in Yankee Stadium. Also arriving are Artie's old school chum, now a successful Hollywood producer, Billy Einhorn with starlet girlfriend in tow, who holds the key to Artie's dreams of getting out of Queens and away from the life he so despises. But like many dreams, this promise of glory evaporates amid the chaos of ordinary lives.

Winner of the 1971 Critics Award and the Obie Award as Best American Play.

"A brilliant play...beautifully fashioned... Wacky and sometimes sad [with]... combined hilarity, poignancy, outrageous stage aside and tragedy." -The New York Daily News

"Enchantingly zany and original farce." -The New York Times