Wallace Shawn: The Master Builder

New York native Wallace Shawn—playwright, essayist, and screenwriter; a singular presence as supporting actor, and leading man—gets the spotlight in this series, brainchild of two of Shawn’s collaborators on his new play, What We Did Before Our Moth Days, actor John Early and Lucas Kane (director of Jacob’s House and assistant director of Moth Days). Featuring films that include just a dash of Shawn for seasoning (Clueless, Southland Tales), Shawn as pièce de résistance (The Wife, A Master Builder, Vanya on 42nd Street, Radio Days) and, in the case of the film adaptations of his plays—Designated Mourner and Marie and Bruce—films in which Shawn appears not at all, but is everywhere present. Shawnophiles rejoice!

“There are many, many roads that could lead one to Wallace Shawn—be it Andre Gregory’s incredulous dinner companion in My Dinner with André, the indelible voice of Rex the dinosaur in Toy Story, or Blair Waldorf’s charming stepfather in Gossip Girl. But behind this extraordinary range lies Wally’s perhaps ‘truer’ self: that of a playwright. The two of us have been lucky enough to spend the last two years steeping in this side of Wally’s practice, working on his most recent theatrical masterpiece, What We Did Before Our Moth Days. In awe of his particular blend of poetry and politics, we put together a program that centers around his writing—featuring two rarely seen filmic adaptations of his plays—while also celebrating his sometimes overlooked roles as a leading man, typified in his collaborations with Gregory and the late Tom Noonan. And yet! Lest we neglect his unforgettable ability to breathe life into pop films and cult classics, we’ve included a couple of films that highlight his character acting, in part, because it’s also roles like these which have helped fund his brilliant playwriting. We are proud to present these films and we hope it reveals a new side of our beloved Wally Shawn.” —Series curators John Early and Lucas Kane