Etiquette and Vitriol

The Food Chain and Other Plays

Nicky Silver

• Publisher: Theatre Communications Group
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781559361231
• eBook ISBN: 9781559367608
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: American Drama
• Index: Literature

This collection brings together two of Silver's highly acclaimed and successful works, the long-running Off Broadway hit The Food Chain and Pterodactyls, with two of his earlier works, Fat Men in Skirts and Free Will and Wanton Lust.

FAT MEN IN SKIRTS

Fat Men in Skirts was first presented by the Vortex Theater Company (Robert Coles, Artistic Director) in New York City under the author’s direction in 1988. The lighting design was by Mark Andrew; the costume design was by Susan B., the production was stage managed by Lizze Fitzgerald. The cast was as follows:

PHYLLIS HOGAN	Stephanie Correa
BISHOP HOGAN	Chuck Coggins
HOWARD HOGAN/DR.NESTOR	Bill Christ
PAM/POPO	Debra Riessen

In 1991, the play was produced at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington D.C. (Howard Shalwitz, Artistic Director; Nancy Turner Hensley, Producing Associate). It was directed by Howard Shalwitz and Lee Mikeska Gardner; the set design was by Keith Belli; the costume design was by Helen Qizhi Huang; the lighting design was by Christopher Townsend; the sound design was by Daniel Schrader; the production stage manager was Scott Hammar. The cast was as follows:

PHYLLIS HOGAN	Nancy Robinette
BISHOP HOGAN	Rob Leo Roy
HOWARD HOGAN/DR.NESTOR	Grover Gardner
PAM/POPO	Desiree Marie

CHARACTERS

PHYLLIS HOGAN, An attractive,
sophisticated woman in her 40s at the play’s opening.

BISHOP HOGAN, Her son.

HOWARD HOGAN, Her husband.

PAM, A young woman.

DR. NESTOR, A psychiatrist,
played by the same actor as Howard.

POPO MARTIN, A very cheery mental patient.
Played by the same actor as Pam.

TIME AND PLACE

ACT I

Five years on a desert island and various locations.

ACT II

The Hogan apartment, New York City.

ACT III

A hospital for the criminally insane. One year later.

ACT I

In the darkness we hear Bobby Darrin’s recording of “Beyond the Sea.” The lights come up on a beach. There is no foliage, perhaps a lone palm tree. Phyllis Hogan is standing center, with her back to us. She is emptying her shoes of sand. She is clearly overdressed for a day at the beach. She turns and addresses the audience.

PHYLLIS: I loathe the beach. I am Phyllis Hogan and I do so loathe the beach. To me, it is the very definition of monotony. Just sand and water and sand and water. And more sand and more water. Ick. And look, a perfectly good pair of shoes, Susan Bennis/Warren Edwards, crocodile, and completely ruined! I have never understood the appeal of the seashore: sand in your stockings and young girls with better bodies in skimpy swimsuits. When I was a girl I used to bury myself in the sand. Head first.

I’ve no idea where I am. I was supposed to be in Italy by now, but I’ve been to Italy, and I always gain weight in Italy, so here I am at the beach. My husband is in Italy, gaining weight no doubt, gorging himself on the local delicacies and the local ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Introduction
• Acknowledgments
• The Food Chain
• Pterodactyls
• Free Will & Wanton Lust
• Fat Men in Skirts