Eastern Standard
| Written by | Richard Greenberg |
|---|---|
| Date premiered | May 1988 |
| Place premiered | Seattle Repertory Theatre |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Setting |
Manhattan The Hamptons |
Eastern Standard is a play by Richard Greenberg. Set in 1987, it focuses on yuppies, AIDS, the and insider trading scandals, homelessness, and urban malaise.
In the first act, very successful but disenchanted architect Stephen Wheeler is lunching with his best friend from their days at Dartmouth College, rising avant-garde gay artist Drew Paley, in a trendy restaurant on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Seated at the adjoining table are Wall Street investment counselor Phoebe Kidde and her television producer brother Peter, who has just revealed he has AIDS to her. When boisterous homeless woman May Logan enters the restaurant and creates a scene, the four diners and their frazzled waitress Ellen find themselves thrown together, and they eventually strike up an unlikely alliance.
In the second act, six months have elapsed, and the sextet are spending the weekend at Stephen's summer house in The Hamptons. Stephen and Phoebe find they share a mutual attraction, while Peter, unprepared to discuss his recent diagnosis, is trying to discourage Drew's amorous advances. Representing the lower class are Ellen and May, whose presence forces everyone to reexamine their lives and reevaluate their priorities.
The play's premiere production was at the Seattle Repertory Theatre in May 1988. Directed by Michael Engler, the cast included Harry Groener as Stephen, Tom Hulce as Drew, Valerie Mahaffey as Phoebe, Michael Cerveris as Peter, Barbara Garrick as Ellen, and Marjorie Nelson as May.
The Manhattan Theatre Club presented the play at the Off-Broadway New York City Center, opening on October 27, 1988, and closing on December 4, 1988. Again directed by Michael Engler, the cast included Dylan Baker as Stephen, Peter Frechette as Drew, Patricia Clarkson as Phoebe, Kevin Conroy as Peter, Barbara Garrick as Ellen, and Anne Meara as May.
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