Two for the Seesaw (play)
Two for the Seesaw is a three-act, two-person play written William Gibson. The play opened on Broadway on January 16, 1958, at the Booth Theatre in New York and ran for 750 performances, closing on October 31, 1959.[2] With the opening cast of Henry Fonda (Jerry Ryan) and Anne Bancroft (Gittel Mosca), the play was directed by Arthur Penn and produced by Fred Coe. A surprise hit, Two for the Seesaw earned Anne Bancroft, making her Broadway debut, her first Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. The play was adapted into a film of the same name in 1962, directed by Robert Wise and starring Robert Mitchum and Shirley MacLaine, and was later adapted into the musical Seesaw in 1973. The play marked the Broadway debut of writer William Gibson, who would later collaborate with Penn and Coe on the play and film adaptations of The Miracle Worker, which also featured Bancroft in the lead role.
Two for the Seesaw
- Jerry Ryan
- Gittel Mosca
January 16, 1958[1]
English
January 16, 1958 — October 31, 1959
Love and marriage
Drama
1957/58, between Fall and Spring, in two New York City rooms - Jerry's and Gittel's.[1]
Published in 1959, a year after Two for the Seesaw opened on Broadway, The Seesaw Log, Gibson's production notes on the development of Two for the Seesaw from his point of view as its author, provides a detailed history of the play from its formation to its opening night and subsequent reception.[3]
Reception[edit]
Upon its opening night, Two for the Seesaw was met with mixed to positive reviews, heralded as “one of those simple, pleasant plays that obviously belong in the theatre, since they are almost always highly popular.”[8] Following the fifth week after the play opened on Broadway at the Booth Theatre, the total expenses of the production resulted in $15,826.35, with an operating profit of $8,597.73.[3]
Anne Bancroft's Broadway debut was praised, as a review from John Chapman of the Daily News from January 18, 1958, claimed, “her timing of movement and speech are flawless, and her warmth of personality is more than considerable.”[9] Tony Award nominations for Two for the Seesaw included Best Play, Arthur Penn for Best Director, and Anne Bancroft for Best Featured Actress in a Play, which she won.[10] Bancroft also was the recipient of a Theatre World Award for her performance during the 1958 Broadway season.[11]
Adaptations[edit]
Film[edit]
A film version of Two for the Seesaw was released in 1962 to mixed reviews and earned a fraction of its budget in box office sales. The film was directed by Robert Wise and starred Shirley MacLaine as Gittel Mosca and Robert Mitchum as Jerry Ryan. Rights to the play were acquisitioned by The Mirisch Company for Elizabeth Taylor, who originally expressed interest in playing the role of Gittel Mosca.[12] Paul Newman was originally slated to be her co-star, but due to scheduling conflicts with Taylor filming Cleopatra, Newman joined the cast of The Hustler, and the lead roles went to MacLaine and Mitchum. Though Gibson is credited as a writer, he was not a creative consultant on the film, and Isobel Lennart was credited for adapting the play for the screen.[13]
The film holds a 43% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes based on seven reviews.[14]
Musical[edit]
The play was adapted into a musical named Seesaw, which opened at the Gershwin Theatre on March 18, 1973, and closed after a total run of 296 performances and 25 previews. The musical book was written by Michael Bennett, and the stage production featured music by Cy Coleman with lyrics by Dorothy Fields.[15]