About us > Past productions > 2002/03 > The Guys
The Guys
by anne nelson
directed by robert egan
main season | roda theatre
may 16–july 5, 2003
Running time: 80 minutes, no intermission
“We have no idea what wonders lie hidden in the people around us.”
Berkeley Rep brings you The Guys, Anne Nelson’s deeply moving exploration of loss and redemption in the tragic, numb aftermath of 9/11. Nick, a New York fire captain who is nearly mute with grief for his fallen friends and colleagues, turns to a stranger for help in composing eulogies for “the guys.” Joan is an editor who, like many of us on the sidelines, struggled to find a meaningful way to help mend this catastrophic rending of American life. Through the task of describing the men, Nick and Joan discover the healing power of celebrating ordinary, human lives. The Los Angeles Times exclaims, “This is why we have theatre!” and the New York Post calls it, “A stark and simple, potent and poignant play, brimming with edgy humanity.”
Berkeley Rep is fortunate that so many accomplished actors (Keith David, Sharon Lawrence, Dan Lauria, Lorraine Toussaint, Linda Purl, Joe Spano, Wanda De Jesús and Jimmy Smits) expressed interest in performing in The Guys. By using a rotating cast, we have been able to involve more members of our larger artistic community in this production.
