The Norwegians" by C. Denby Swanson now has tickets on sale through March 23 for its open-ended Off-Broadway run at The Drilling Company, 236 West 78th Street. New York's arctic vortex weather has been seasonally favorable to this cold-weather comedy, which is set in Minnnesota at this time of the year. It depicts two young women are plotting revenge against the men who should have kept them warm through a Minnesota winter but didn't.
The script, published by Dramatists Play Service, just went on sale at Drama Book Store. It has also been published by Smith & Kraus in "New Playwrights: The Best Plays of 2013," edited by Lawrence Harbison.
The play, directed by Elowyn Castle, is a strong, bitter comedy about women scorned in Minnesota and the really, really nice gangsters--Norwegian hit men--they hire to whack their ex-boyfriends. Olive is a transplant from Texas and Betty is a transplant from Kentucky, but neither of them was prepared for the Norwegian men they would fall in love with there: the practical, warm, thoughtful, destructive, evil, jilting kind. If you're a hit man in Minnesota, 83% of your clients want to take out their ex (Oofda!). Olive has referred Betty to Gus and Tor, a partnership in the whacking business. What Tor doesn't know is that Gus has been sleeping with the clients. What Olive doesn't know is that Gus is Betty's own ex, and she has already put out a hit on him with a Swiss firm. Can Betty call off the job in time to let Gus do his? Should she?
The play is also riding a wave of Norwegian entertainment this year. "What does the Fox Say" by the Norwegian group Ylvis, is about to pass "Gangnam Style" as the most-watched video of all time. "Lilyhammer," the Norwegian-American television series starring
Steven Van Zandt about a New York gangster trying to start a new life in Norway, is a solid hit that is now in its second season.
The actors are Veronica Cruz (Olive), Dan Teachout (Gus),
Karla Hendrick (Betty) and
Hamilton Clancy (Tor). Choreographer is Megan Sipe. Costume Design is by
Mimi Maxmen. Scenic design is by Jennifer Varbalow. Lighting design is by
Tyler Learned.
Actor
Hamilton Clancy is now playing Kowalski in the second season of Netflix's succesful "Orange is the New Black."
The production began Off-off Broadway from March 8 to April 14, 2013 and re-opened October 3, 2014 on an Off-Broadway contract. The Off-Broadway run was suspended November 24, 2013 to accommodate a pre-existing commitment for the theater space. Encouraged by solid audience demand, The Drilling Company resumed the Off-Broadway production January 9, 2014 as an open-ended run. There have been almost 100 performances so far.
For more info, please visit the play's website,
www.norwegians.us
