Four Dogs And A Bone
Four Dogs And A Bone
WELCOME TO THE SHANLEY DOUBLE HEADER
Celebrate the genius of John Patrick Shanley with a captivating DOUBLE FEATURE that showcases his masterful storytelling and sharp wit. This evening starts with ‘The Wild Goose,’ a profound exploration of dreams, love, and the elusive pursuit of happiness. Then, dive into the satirical world of ‘Four Dogs and a Bone,’ where Hollywood’s ruthless ambitions and backdoor dealings come to life in a hilarious and biting comedy. GET READY for this unique opportunity to experience two of Shanley’s brilliant plays in one unforgettable night of theatre.
THE WILD GOOSE BY JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY
When the story opens, we find Jameson and Renaldo amongst tables and chairs, deciding if they can live together in the world or not. They share their water and peanuts as they tear each other down to gain the upper hand. Jameson shoots Renaldo dead. Just in time, Ramona comes in and now Jameson can have her all to himself. But Ramona misses Renaldo and nothing is settled until Renaldo jumps up! Alive again! Aha, now Ramona must choose between them. This presents a problem since Ramona was just about to hang herself. Jameson shoots her instead—to forego the grief of a suicide. Soon the wild goose hovers over the scene with its majestic sound and beauty. Ramona jumps up just after Jameson shoots the bird, and it falls at their feet. Can anything survive in this world?
THE WILD GOOSE received its premiere at the Emsemble Studio Theatre (Curt Dempster, Artistic Director), as part of The Festival of One-Act Plays, in New York City, on April 29, 1992. It was directed by John Patrick Shanley; the Set design was by Sarah Lambert; the costume design was by Sue Ellen Roher; the lighting design was by Greg MacPherson; the sound design was by David Lawson.
FOUR DOGS AND A BONE by JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY
Brenda, a seemingly guileless young actress, takes a meeting with Bradley, a troubled, middle-aged producer, to discuss the film on which they are working. Brenda wants to be a star, but Collette, the other actress in the film, is in her way, so Brenda must convince Bradley that the film is in serious trouble unless he makes certain changes. Collette has her agenda: She knows she’s not as young as she once was. She tries to convince Victor, the writer, to alter the film so she can be the heroine, or else, this, his first film, is destined to be lost in art houses or, worse, go directly to video. Victor, a naïve young writer from Off-Off-Broadway, doesn’t know how to handle any of this and drinks himself into a stupor before he changes his screenplay. Brenda and Collette find out they’ve been trying to stab each other in the back and all hell breaks loose in the final scene when Bradley and Victor confront one another and all the lies and backbiting are exposed as these four dogs go after their bone.
FOUR DOGS AND A BONE was originally produced by Manhattan Theater Club on October 12, 1993. FOUR DOGS AND A BONE was produced by Manhattan Theater Club (Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director; Barry Grobe, Managing Director) in New York City in October 1993. It was directed by John Patrick Shanley; the set design was by Santo Loquasto; the costume design was by Elsa Ward; the lighting design was by Brian Nason; The sound design was by Bruce Ellman; and the production stage manager was Donna A. Drake.