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AWARDS
Winner, "2007 National Performing Arts Award", National Council on Alcohol
Winner, "2010 Top Theatre Stories in Cleveland," Cleveland Plain Dealer
Winner, "2010 Best Play Award," Regional British Columbia Drama Festival
Winner, 1995 "One of the best plays of the year"—San Diego Union Tribune,
Winner, 1995 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award to Dr. Samuel Shem , Harvard Medical School Division on Addictions
A SAMPLER OF REVIEWS
"An insightful new play"—The New York Times
"An endearing portrait of friendship uplifted by warm humor"—The New Yorker
"Deeply human, audience-embracing, intelligent writing, a leavening of humor and an innate power of biographical storytelling. A remarkable story!"—Variety
"Something rare and exciting is happening at the Off Broadway New World Theatre. Producers often aspire to find ‘new audiences’—and its happening here. Profoundly moving and highly dramatic. It is theatre for a new audience"—WBAI, Pacifica Radio New York
"Holds the audience in the palm of its hand from the very start…The stakes are life-or-death throughout…Captures the wild exciting uncertainty of invention…An uplifting reminder of the power of the human spirit. The sleeper hit of the season"—nytheatre.com, New York
"Funny and fast moving…Mesmerizing drama. This is what good theatre should be. You don’t have to be an alcoholic or a member of AA to enjoy this"—TalkinBroadway.com
"Superb drama. The fall theatre season’s first must-see piece. Spellbinding and truly gripping entertainment…Touches an emotional chord about faith and belief that’s hidden deep inside everyone who’s ever sought redemption of any kind"—Coastal Beat News, Ft Myers, Florida
"A wonderful and uplifting new play. A joyous drama of the triumph and survival of the human spirit. The authors’ sensitive writing helps us care about these men who are incapable of caring for themselves. It is filled with humor and grace"—Joe Gordon, Phoenix Examiner, Arizona
"A textured, truthful telling of AA’s story. Evocative portraits of two complex men, without portraying either as an untarnished hero. Inspiring!"—The Boston Globe
"A funny, poignant, compelling new play. A universal message"—The Boston Herald
"The play humanizes the world of addiction so honestly that the production transcends that universe. To put it bluntly, you don’t have to be in AA to appreciate this show"—news-press, Ft. Myers Florida
"Sobering but not somber…The light of truth shining though the testimony of one drunk’s experience to another sparkles like fine champagne"—Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ohio
"If you are a friend of Bill W. and Dr. Bob and are familiar with their stories, you will be bolstered and inspired. If you don’t know who Bill W. and Dr. Bob are, then it’s time you met them. You’ll be glad you did…An innovative theatrical shape that is faithful to the narrative history"—The Independent, Cleveland
"A night to remember and treasure"—Akron.com
"Entertaining, enlightening, riveting"—Ohio News Bureau
"An intoxicating play…Hilarious moments in a story that is solidly grounded in spirituality. Delivers the story with a memorable theatrical punch—Cleveland Scene.
"Breaking attendance records for a season-closing play in the 94-year history of The Cleveland Play House, Bill W and Dr. Bob is an inspirational, gripping, and often funny story"—broadwayworld.com
"A profoundly moving drama. Go see this amazing bit of theatre…It shattered my normally unrockable composure (I would typically say, ‘It is just a play, after all.’)"—Lincoln in Cleveland.blogspot.com, Ohio
"Bill W. and Dr. Bob was the Cleveland Playhouse’s biggest season finale in 20 years. It put the Playhouse over the top"—Cleveland Scene
"Bill W. and Dr. Bob is a surprisingly intoxicating retelling of the founding, in Akron in 1935, of Alcoholics Anonymous. One of the Top Theatre Stories and Great Shows in Cleveland 2010"--Cleveland Plain Dealer
"An often funny, moving play…For all the seriousness of its theme, it is a comedy"—naplesnews.com, Florida
"Whether you’ve been a spouse, sibling, parent, child, family, coworker, or friend of an alcoholic, Bill W. and Dr. Bob is one meeting you should not miss"—The Column, Dallas
"Bill W. and Dr. Bob is an insightful, uplifting experience—whether you’ve been a diehard drunk, a social drinker, or never even touch the stuff"—Twin Cities Daily Planet, Minnesota
"At the end of this inspirational and entertaining performance, one leaves the theatre thirsting for more. Our hope is that everyone whose life has been touched by addiction has an opportunity to experience the play"—Nick Motu, Hazelden Publisher and Vice President, Minnesota
‘You will want to return over and over again, dragging along everyone you love whose life has been burdened by the deadly disease of addiction"—Susan Gray, Director of Broadcast Development, Northern Light Productions, Boston, on the San Antonio, Texas, production
"This is more than just a play: it’s the story of two men who changed the lives of millions of people throughout the world…a powerful drama that de-mystifies the founders of AA and shows them as real, flawed people who nonetheless created something larger than themselves"—Charles Runnells, News-Press, Ft. Myers, Florida
"An often funny, moving, and character-driven play. Admirably focused. It is not grim. In fact, for all the seriousness of the theme it is a comedy. It is the happiest of endings"—Bob O’Neill, Collier Citizen, Del Ray Beach Florida
"Dramatic, poignant, and compelling"—Beverly Hills Outlook, California
"Samuel Shem and Janet Surrey hit the nail on the head with their well-crafted, beautifully written script. The dialogue will resonate with any viewer"—SoCal.com, California
"The theatre taps into a different audience with Bill W. and Dr. Bob, including recovery groups and those who don’t typically attend theatre…While there’s talk of God and prayer, there’s also a healthy dose of skepticism and cynicism, and, believe it or not, plenty of laughter"—Nancy Stetson, Florida Weekly
“Smart, funny play about AA avoids proselytizing”—Oregon Live.com
FROM AUSTRALIA, a sold-out Carriageworks Theatre, Sidney, production:
"Intelligent and inspiring"— Australian Doctor
"From Marie Bashir, Governor of New South Wales: "Such a fine performance—a sensitive concept and a significant work. A memorable evening."
"Insights into AA's founders"—The Australian
"A profound and deeply moving experience"---Peter Kingston, director, WAAPA
"A few old-fashioned steps to a persuasive program, unfolding clearly and briskly. Consistent, convincing…radiates warmth and cynical humor"—The Sydney Herald
PRODUCTION HISTORY
2006, Boston: broke box office record for a drama.
2007, New York: an Off-Broadway hit, winner of Performing Arts Award from NCADD, ran for 154 performances, 5 months.
2007 Hazelden Treatment Center, Minnesota, produces and distributes DVD of the show. Purchase DVD >
2007-2010: takes America by storm, produced in 25 states to sold-out houses and rave reviews (see under reviews), breaking box-office records from New England to Los Angeles, New England to Florida, and translated into Russian, Portuguese (for Brazil), Spanish, and French.
OTHER MAJOR PRODUCTIONS:
CLEVELAND PLAYHOUSE:500-seat theatre, sold out, broke the box-office record for a drama, earned $235,000 in ticket sales in three weeks.
"Funny and fast-moving…Mesmerizing drama. This is what good theatre should be. You don’t have to be an alcoholic or a member of AA to enjoy this"—TalkinBroadway.com
"Sobering but not somber…The light of truth shining through the testimnony of one drunk’s experience to another…sparkles like find champagne"—Cleveland Plain Dealer.
ILLUSION THEATRE, MINNEAPOLIS: sold-out run in a 400-seat theatre, will be returning for a second season in 2011; sponsored by Hazelden.
CAMEO THEATRE, SAN ANTONIO, sold-out run at 75th Anniversary of AA International Convention; 60,000 attendees from all over the world now aware of the show. (Prather Entertainment Group, sponsored by Hazelden)
PALM THEATRE, FORT MYERS FLORIDA (Prather Entertainment Group): sold-out run, went on tour to other Florida cities and to Pennsylvania and Arizona; national tour scheduled for 2011.
2011
JULY 2011 CARRIAGEWORKS THEATRE SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
JUNE 2011 GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE, LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA
MARCH 2-6 HOPKINS CENTER, DARTMOUTH COLLEGE, NH (Prather Entertainment Group), a tentative week-long run in March 2011 in the 500-seat main-stage, a centerpiece for a week of alcohol awareness, endorsed by President James Kim and Surgeon General Edward Koop.
2012
SAN JOSE REPERTORY THEATRE, SAN FRANCISCO: 500-seat theatre; scheduled for 2012.
FALL 2012: RETURN TO OFF-BROADWAY
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