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Pru Payne

By Steven Drukman | Directed by Sean Daniels

Recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award. Written by Pulitzer Prize Nominee Steven Drukman, this ATC world premiere is a remarkable, funny, and emotional journey about the evolution of love and identity in the face of memory loss. When her memory begins to fade, esteemed critic Prudence “Pru” Payne – widely recognized as a wit, a scholar, and a public intellectual – questions preconceived notions about her identity and discovers unexpected love.

Tucson: Phoenix: ATC On Demand:
  • "Drukman’s wit is wicked and his storytelling strong, which makes spending an evening with 'Pru Payne' a fun and powerful night at the theater."
    - Arizona Daily Star
  • "Such explosive chemistry is worth a lot more than the price of witnessing it, which amounts to a first-rate masterclass in acting."
    - BroadwayWorld
  • "The remarkable performances, the sharp staging, and the insightful play makes Pru Payne a masterpiece local theatergoers should not miss."
    - Curtain Up Phoenix
  • "All intellect and accomplishment ultimately evaporates anyway, Drukman seems to say, but the loving connections that form between people, however different they may be, never do."
    - Phoenix Magazine

Hollywood Stars Mimi Kennedy & Gordon Clapp to Star in Pru Payne

ATC has announced that the world premiere of Pru Payne, winner of the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award, is coming to Tucson and Phoenix this spring. The show, written by Pulitzer Prize nominee Steven Drukman, is a funny and emotional journey about the evolution of love and identity in the face of memory loss. Directed by Sean Daniels, the play features renowned Hollywood actors Mimi Kennedy, known for her roles on MOM and Dharma & Greg, and Gordon Clapp, best known for playing Detective Greg Medavoy for all 12 seasons of the television series NYPD Blue. Continue Reading

Playwright’s Notes: Steven Drukman

Funny word: playwright — so often misspelled, given that “wright”and “write” are homonyms. But any playwright can tell you that plays are wrought — crafted — more than they’re written. You might ask four different wheelwrights to make you four different wheels; you wouldn’t ask any to write you one. Hand-wrought jewelry looks lovely on your wrist; it didn’t get there via haiku. The dramatist’s job is to construct an event, playing out in a circumscribed space, within a reasonable amount of time. Tools from the toolbox include stage directions, rising action, conflicts (internal and external), reveals, reversals — all embedded with different emphases, all inlaid in proper order. Yes, Shakespeare soliloquized …  Continue Reading

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2022 Edgerton Foundation New Play Award

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Representation Matters: Dementia in the Arts with Steven Drukman

Playwright Steven Drukman recently sat down with Banner Health’s hosts of the Dementia Untangled podcast to talk about the inspiration behind Pru Payne.

Drukman expands on how dementia challenges the titled character to unearth desires previously guarded by her reputation and status. Get an intimate look at what dementia has come to mean to Steven Drukman and learn a little more about Pru Payne. 

Listen Here

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Private Lives presented by Arizona Theatre Company