Beyond Therapy
From Free net encyclopedia
Beyond Therapy is a comedic play by Christopher Durang that had a short run on Broadway in 1982, starring John Lithgow and Dianne Wiest. Its themes include New Yorkers' reliance on psychiatry, and the quest to find love and companionship.
The plot concerns Prudence, a New York City yuppie who has just ended an affair with Stuart, her macho, abusive psychiatrist and has decided to search for a boyfriend in the personal ads. Through this, she meets Bruce, who is kind and understanding... and also is a bisexual living with a man named Bob. Bruce's therapist, the comically eccentric Charlotte, encouraged him to place the ad. As the play progresses, Bruce, Bob and Prudence try to work through their relationship issues, helped (or hurt) by Stuart and Charlotte.
Robert Altman made the play into a film in 1987, which Durang has since denounced as not accurately representing his work.