A combination of outrageous comic parody and dark Grand Guignol, “Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad” is a classic of American absurdism. Written in 1962, the play tells the story of the fabulous Madame Rosepettle and her neurotic son Jonathan as they travel to a Caribbean island with their wild entourage: two Venus Flytraps; a cat-eating piranha; a priceless stamp, coin, and book collection; and Madame Rosepettle’s taxidermied dead husband—in a coffin. Mayhem ensues, culminating in one of drama's most memorable closing lines: “What is the meaning of this?”
Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma’s Hung You in the Closet and I’m Feelin’ So Sad
- By Arthur Kopit
- Directed by David R. Gammons
- Scenic Design by J. Michael Griggs
- Costume Design by Heidi Hermiller
- Lighting Design by Sarah Sidman
- Sound Design by Nick Shears
- Choreography by Marin Orlosky
- Fights by Zack Sniderman
New College Theatre
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
November 2007
Photos: David R. Gammons