First performance 30 September 1953 Adaptations Tea and Sympathy (1956) | ||
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Similar You Know I Can't Hear You Whe, I Never Sang for My Father, Seascape, Camino Real, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | ||
Tea and Sympathy is a 1953 stage play in three acts by Robert Anderson.
Contents
The play is about a male private school student, Tom Lee, who faces accusations of homosexuality. A woman, Laura, who is married to an instructor, opposes the students' shaming of Lee and romantically pursues him so he can prove that he has a masculine character.
Everett Evans of the Houston Chronicle wrote that the play was "one of the first plays to tackle the then-taboo topic of sexual orientation and related prejudice." Evans stated that the play's final line, "Years from now, when you speak of this, and you will, be kind," is "one of the most quoted curtain lines in stage history".
Characters
Broadway premiere
The play premiered on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on September 30, 1953, in a production by The Playwrights' Company, directed by Elia Kazan and designed by Jo Mielziner. The play starred Deborah Kerr, Leif Erickson, and John Kerr. It transferred to the Longacre Theatre, and later the 48th Street Theatre. It had a total run of 712 performances. During the run, Joan Fontaine and Anthony Perkins took over the roles played by Deborah Kerr and John Kerr.
London
The play was first performed in London at the Comedy Theatre under membership conditions, because of the ban imposed by the Lord Chamberlain.
Paris
A French adaptation was presented at the Théâtre de Paris, Paris, starring Ingrid Bergman and Jean-Loup Phillipe and directed by Jean Mercure.
Adaptations
The play was adapted into a 1956 film. In 1956 Bob Thomas of the Associated Press wrote that "many said [the play] could never be made into a movie."
Reception
In 2013 Everett Evans of the Houston Chronicle wrote that "Sixty years on, this once controversial play is a little dated, but a lot more timely, its potent moments outweighing its imperfections. When you speak of 'Tea and Sympathy', be kind."