The Sisters Rosensweig

The Sisters Rosensweig is a play by Wendy Wasserstein. The play focuses on three Jewish-American sisters and their lives. It "broke theatrical ground by concentrating on a non-traditional cast of three middle-aged women." Wasserstein received the William Inge Award for Distinguished Achievement in American Theatre for this play.

Production history
The play first opened in April 1992 at the Seattle Repertory Theatre.

It premiered off-Broadway in a Lincoln Center Theater production at the Mitzi Newhouse Theater on October 22, 1992, and closed on February 28, 1993, after 149 performances. Directed by Daniel J. Sullivan, the cast included Jane Alexander and Madeline Kahn.

It transferred to Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on March 18, 1993, and closed on July 16, 1994, after 556 performances. Again directed by Sullivan, the Broadway cast remained the same as off-Broadway, except that Christine Estabrook took the role of "Pfeni" for Frances McDormand. Notable replacements include Linda Lavin as Gorgeous Teitelbaum and Michael Learned as Sara Goode.

Original Broadway Cast 
Sara Goode - Jane Alexander
Gorgeous Teitelbaum - Madeline Kahn
Mervyn Kant - Robert Klein
Pfeni Rosensweig - Christine Estabrook
Nicholas Pym - John Cunningham
Tess Goode - Julie Dretzin
Tom Valiunus - Patrick Fitzgerald
Geoffrey Duncan - John Vickery

London production 

It premiered at the Greenwich Theatre in 1994, where it was directed by Michael Blakemore and the sisters were played by Janet Suzman, Maureen Lipman, and Lynda Bellingham. The play transferred to the Old Vic in September 1994

Digital production 

Released on May 20, 2021, there was a livestreamed production of the play to benefit the Actors' Fund, the Theater Development Fund's Wendy Wasserstein Project, and the Steppenwolf Theater Company. Directed by Anna D. Shapiro, the company's artistic director, it featured Lisa Edelstein, Kathryn Hahn, and Tracee Chimo Pallero as the three sisters. It also featured Jason Alexander, Kathryn Newton and James Urbaniak.

Plot
Sara, who lives in London, is a representative for a major Hong Kong bank and is about to turn 54. Her sisters, Gorgeous Teitelbaum and Pfeni Rosensweig, arrive to help celebrate the birthday. Gorgeous is Dr. Gorgeous with a radio-advice program; Pfeni is a world traveler. Various friends and boyfriends also arrive for the party. In particular, Mervyn, a friend of Pfeni's boyfriend Geoffrey, falls instantly in love with Sara.

Concept
Wasserstein said that the play is "about being Jewish." She "wanted to write a play that celebrated the possibilities of a middle-aged woman who, unlike her other protagonists, does not end up alone."

Critical response
The New York Times review of the original production wrote that the play is: "...[a] captivating look at three uncommon women and their quest for love, self-definition and fulfillment.  But underlying the comedy is an empathetic concern for the characters and for the prospects of women today. At the same time, the play has its imperfections. There are gratuitous remarks and irrelevancies."

Awards and nominations

Outer Critics Circle Award 

Best Broadway Play (winner)
Best Actor (Play) - Robert Klein (winner)
Best Actress (Play) - Madeline Kahn (winner)
Best Actress (Play) - Jane Alexander (nominee)
Best Director (Play) (winner)

Tony Award
Best Play (nominee)
Best Actress in a Play - Madeline Kahn (winner)
Best Actress in a Play - Jane Alexander (nominee)
Best Costume Design - Jane Greenwood (nominee)
Best Direction of a Play (nominee)

Drama Desk Award
Outstanding New Play (nominee)
Outstanding Actress in a Play - Jane Alexander (winner)
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play - Robert Klein (nominee)
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play - Madeline Kahn (winner)
Outstanding Director of a Play (nominee)

References

External links
Internet Broadway Database
Internet Off-Broadway Database listing

Plays by Wendy Wasserstein
1993 plays
Broadway plays