Bad Habits

by Terrence McNally

In the first play, DUNELAWN, we are in an expensive retreat for the unhappily married, where the wheel-chaired director, Dr. Pepper, dispenses a definitely unique sort of marital guidance. His theory includes complete indulgence in such "bad habits" as smoking, drinking and sexual promiscuity-which seems to work wonders for his patients, whose wacky case histories are each examined in hilarious detail. In the second play, RAVENSWOOD, the approach is quite the opposite. Here the saintly Dr. Toynbee injects his straitjacketed charges with tranquilizing drugs to calm such urges-but again the catalogue of aberrations revealed in his patients is subjected to close, and enormously funny, scrutiny. Both plays can be performed by the same cast, as each calls for 6 men and 2 women.

Genres: Plays, Theatre

97 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Terrence McNally was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. Described as "the bard of American theater" and "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced," McNally was the recipient of five Tony Awards. He won the Tony Award for Best Play for Love! Valour!

Reviews

[Brian McCann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just. Terrible.

And I’m a McNally fan!

[Darius · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great antidote for someone in LA suffering all the self-help and ignorance-is-positive thinking. At first read the world seems pretty wacky, but I bet it's based on some pretty sturdy reflection. To me one of the things the two plays do best is compare the unnatural dichotomy between wanting to Have the perfect relationship versus wanting to Be the perfect lover. But I think it takes some careful acting to bring these characters down to earth, into the relatability of those notions.

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh.