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Over The
River & Through The Woods
by Joe DiPietro
November 24 - December
16, 2000
Directed by Doobie Potter
Love of
family is the mantra that runs throughout this endearingly warm-hearted
comedy by Joe DiPietro. The audience is taken on a sweet and sentimental
journey to grandparent's house in Hoboken, New Jersey.
At the heart of the plot is a
tight-knit Italian-American family. Nick Christano is a 29-year old marketing
executive who dutifully visits his four grandparents every Sunday for dinners
which are governed by "the three F's" - family, faith, and food.
One Sunday he has an
exciting, though devastating announcement: He's being promoted to a new position
in Seattle. As Nick is their only relative left in the area, the prospect of
losing him calls for some heavy Golden-Ager artillery.
Playwright Joe DiPietro has
become a very prolific writer, having penned four plays since 1995. He is best
known for his witty musical "I Love You! You're Perfect! Now Change!"
and "Over The River and Through The Woods," which have both been long
running hits Off-Broadway in New York. Several critics have compared DiPietro's
writing to Neil Simon's later autobiographical comedy-dramas. DiPietro says that
while the characters are based loosely on his own four grandparents, the plot is
completely fictional.
Speaking about his
characters, Mr. DiPietro says, "The biggest difference between these
generations is their concept of family and home. They believed that the family
was central, and work is something you just do to provide for them. For our
generation, it's a lot more complicated.
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