The Birthday Party

The Birthday Party is one of the great black comedies of the twentieth century. First produced in 1958, Harold Pinter’s study of menace and mystery in a shabby English boarding house has magnificently stood the test of time.

SYNOPSIS

Stanley Webber is the only lodger in Meg and Petey Boles’ seaside boarding house. One morning, while Meg and Stanley are bantering over breakfast, she mentions that two visitors are coming to stay for the night. Stanley immediately grows apprehensive, sensing imminent danger. His fears are confirmed when Goldberg and his partner McCann arrive. Meg announces that it’s Stanley’s birthday, and even though Stanley insists it is not, Goldberg demands a celebration. After a few glasses of whiskey and a game of blindman’s bluff, Stanley’s birthday party turns into a nightmare. Goldberg and McCann drag Stanley off to an upstairs room, and by morning they’ve rendered him a mute.

The residency of JoAnne Akalaitis supported by Ted & Mary Wendell
Special support for visiting artists provided by Anichini Luxury Linens
Additional support provided by Clarke & Ethel D. Coggeshall