A powerfully poignant and often hilarious play, The Waverly Gallery is about the final years of a generous, chatty, and feisty grandmother's final battle against Alzheimer's disease. Gladys is an old-school lefty and social activist and longtime owner of a small art gallery in Greenwich Village. The play explores her fight to retain her independence and the subsequent effect of her decline on her family, especially her grandson. More than a memory play, The Waverly Gallery captures the humor and strength of a family in the face of crisis.
Similar to Tennessee Williams' THE GLASS MENAGERIE, Lonergan's touching and humorous piece is a memory play, with the young Daniel occasionally narrating the story to the audience. For twenty-eight years the widowed Gladys has been running a small art gallery attached to a hotel across from Washington Square. It's never done great business, but the owner thought it attracted passers-by. Now he's decided to convert the place into a cafe and has given Gladys two months' notice.
Lonergan designed this as a memory play and Lucas Hedges's restrained narration offers welcome distance. Joan Allen wrenchingly evokes Ellen's conflicting emotions. And who can't relate to David Cromer's Howard, with his clumsy but well-intentioned efforts to communicate. And Michael Cera is almost unrecognizable with his subtle turn as a sympathetic artist without a lot of talent.
| 2000 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 2018 | Broadway |
Broadway Premiere Broadway |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Play | Elaine May |
| 2019 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | The Waverly Gallery |
| 2019 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Elaine May |
| 2019 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play | The Waverly Gallery |
| 2019 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Play | Elaine May |
| 2019 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Joan Allen |
| 2019 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | The Waverly Gallery |
| 2019 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Elaine May |
| 2019 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Kenneth Lonergan |
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