REVIEWS - MITF Performance (New York City)
Mr. Toole, a new play written by award-winning playwright Vivian Neuwirth made its World Premiere at The Midtown International Theatre Festival on July 21st. Set against the backdrop of New Orleans, this play is a deeply personal reflection on the life of John Kennedy Toole, author of the Pulitzer Prize Winning, "A Confederacy of Dunces."
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"What an auspicious time to bring to the stage a new play that focuses on the life of John Kennedy Toole and the publishing of his now iconic novel. Playwright Vivian Neuwirth was Toole’s student at St. Mary’s Dominican College in New Orleans and the events of her play “Mr. Toole” are inspired by that experience. "
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"It is fitting that Vivian Neuwirth’s new one act, Mr. Toole, arrives in New York riding a heat wave. It’s one of those hothouse memory plays set in New Orleans featuring characters with rich, Southern drawls. Not one of them will find what they want until much too late."
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Q: What inspired you to write Mr. Toole?:
A: I was the student and he was my teacher. I went to Dominican College for a year before I was accepted into Juilliard. After I got to New York my mother called to tell me that he committed suicide. That had a profound impact on my life and still does.
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"Ms. Neuwirth uses an engaging trope to encapsulate the life of John Kennedy Toole – T. S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” Mr. Toole teaches Eliot’s poem, the poem that parallels his own struggles with self-worth and self-understanding and his efforts to “dare” to disturb the universe..."
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We garnered TEN Award Nominations for the 2016 MITF Festival, and brought home THREE of them!
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ESTROGENIUS REVIEWS - New York City; Oct/Nov 2014
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The EstroGenius Festival spotlights women artists in theater. Mr. Toole was very well received, and won five awards, including Best Play and Best Playwright. "Mr. Toole (by Vivian Neuwirth; dir. Kristin McCarthy Parker) is a powerful entry that imagines the last days of John Kennedy Toole, author of A Confederacy of Dunces, in New Orleans." |
MITF Production Press Release
For Immediate Release: June 20, 2016 Media Contact: Andrea Alton at Alton PR | altonprandproduction@gmail.com |
The Midtown International Theatre Festival in association with Lagniappe Productions Present The World Premiere of
MR. TOOLE
July 21st – 31st at the WorkShop Theater Company
Inspired by true life events of Pulitzer Prize Winning Author John Kennedy Toole
The Midtown International Theatre Festival in association with Lagniappe Productions Present The World Premiere of
MR. TOOLE
July 21st – 31st at the WorkShop Theater Company
Inspired by true life events of Pulitzer Prize Winning Author John Kennedy Toole
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New York – Mr. Toole, a new play written by award-winning playwright Vivian Neuwirth will have its World Premiere at The Midtown International Theatre Festival on July 21st. Set against the backdrop of New Orleans, this play is a deeply personal reflection on the life of John Kennedy Toole, author of the Pulitzer Prize Winning novel, “A Confederacy of Dunces.” The play was inspired by Vivian’s time as a student of Mr. Toole’s at St. Mary's Dominican College in New Orleans.
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Todd d'Amour as "John Kennedy Toole" in Vivian Neuwirth's play "Mr. Toole" (©Mike Dote)
The play is directed by Cat Parker who is the Artistic Director of Articulate Theatre Company. Previous directing credits include the New York Innovative Theatre Award-Winning Productions of, Picasso at the Lapin Agile and Twelfth Night. Cat’s recent credits include Articulate Theatre Company’s production of Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth. Mr. Toole's ensemble cast has an impressive list of credits that range from Broadway, Off-Broadway and Regional productions.
In this new play inspired by true events, the life of John Kennedy Toole, author of “A Confederacy of Dunces,” is seen through the eyes of one of his students at an all-girl’s college in New Orleans. The student, who is haunted by the memory of her first love, Mr. Toole, goes back in time to solve the mystery of his death and what she could have done to stop it. The teacher a student will never forget becomes a legend the world will never forget.
The cast features Todd d'Amour (2015 Broadway Debut Manhattan Theatre Club's Airline Highway/Orpheus Descending), Laura Butler (Boardwalk Empire/Inside Llewyn Davis), Brenda Currin (Obie award-winner/Orpheus Descending, directed by Austin Pendleton), John Ingle (Off-Broadway Lanford Wilson's Madness of Lady Bright with TOSOS, Steve Sterner and Peter del Valle’s musical revue LOVERS), Lou Liberatore (Broadway, Burn This & As Is), and Richard Vernon (Broadway Poor Murderer, directed by Herbert Berghof).
The creative team includes set and video design by George Allison, lighting design by Kia Rogers, costume design by Aileen Abercrombie, video help from Eric Siegel, stage management by Earline Stephen, assistant director & stage manager Becky Abramowitz, dialect coach Charley Layton, and co-produced by Vincent Marano.
Performances take place at the WorkShop Theater Company, 312 West 36th Street (between 8th & 9th avenues), 4th Floor, New York, New York 10018. Subways: 1, 2, 3, 7, A, C, E, N, R, Q, W to 34th Street. Tickets are $18.00 and are available at www.midtownfestival.org or by calling 866-811-4111 – Running time: 90 minutes. Show dates: Thursday, July 21 @ 8:00 pm (opening) Saturday, Jul 23 @ 2:00 pm Tuesday, July 26 @ 8:15 pm Saturday, Jul 30 @ 5:00 pm Sunday, Jul 31 @ 5:15 pm
In this new play inspired by true events, the life of John Kennedy Toole, author of “A Confederacy of Dunces,” is seen through the eyes of one of his students at an all-girl’s college in New Orleans. The student, who is haunted by the memory of her first love, Mr. Toole, goes back in time to solve the mystery of his death and what she could have done to stop it. The teacher a student will never forget becomes a legend the world will never forget.
The cast features Todd d'Amour (2015 Broadway Debut Manhattan Theatre Club's Airline Highway/Orpheus Descending), Laura Butler (Boardwalk Empire/Inside Llewyn Davis), Brenda Currin (Obie award-winner/Orpheus Descending, directed by Austin Pendleton), John Ingle (Off-Broadway Lanford Wilson's Madness of Lady Bright with TOSOS, Steve Sterner and Peter del Valle’s musical revue LOVERS), Lou Liberatore (Broadway, Burn This & As Is), and Richard Vernon (Broadway Poor Murderer, directed by Herbert Berghof).
The creative team includes set and video design by George Allison, lighting design by Kia Rogers, costume design by Aileen Abercrombie, video help from Eric Siegel, stage management by Earline Stephen, assistant director & stage manager Becky Abramowitz, dialect coach Charley Layton, and co-produced by Vincent Marano.
Performances take place at the WorkShop Theater Company, 312 West 36th Street (between 8th & 9th avenues), 4th Floor, New York, New York 10018. Subways: 1, 2, 3, 7, A, C, E, N, R, Q, W to 34th Street. Tickets are $18.00 and are available at www.midtownfestival.org or by calling 866-811-4111 – Running time: 90 minutes. Show dates: Thursday, July 21 @ 8:00 pm (opening) Saturday, Jul 23 @ 2:00 pm Tuesday, July 26 @ 8:15 pm Saturday, Jul 30 @ 5:00 pm Sunday, Jul 31 @ 5:15 pm
Photos by Mike Dote/mikedote.com
John Ingle as "Walker Percy" and Brenda Currin as "Thelma Toole" in Vivian Neuwirth's play "Mr. Toole" (©Mike Dote)
Todd d'Amour as "John Kennedy Toole" in Vivian Neuwirth's play "Mr. Toole" (©Mike Dote)
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Todd d'Amour as "John Kennedy Toole" and Brenda Currin as "Thelma Toole" in Vivian Neuwirth's play "Mr. Toole" (©Mike Dote)
Lou Liberatore as "Arthur Ducoing" and Brenda Currin as "Thelma Toole" in Vivian Neuwirth's play "Mr. Toole" (©Mike Dote)
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Todd d'Amour as "John Kennedy Toole" and Laura Butler as "Lisette" in Vivian Neuwirth's play "Mr. Toole" (©Mike Dote)
Todd d'Amour as "John Kennedy Toole" and Laura Butler as "Lisette" in Vivian Neuwirth's play "Mr. Toole" (©Mike Dote)
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Todd d'Amour as "John Kennedy Toole" and Richard Vernon as "John Toole" in Vivian Neuwirth's play "Mr. Toole" (©Mike Dote)
Todd d'Amour as "John Kennedy Toole" and Richard Vernon as "John Toole" in Vivian Neuwirth's play "Mr. Toole" (©Mike Dote)
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