History of the Show
The Playwright’s Process
“I finished the play in August 2020, and began a series of developmental ZOOM readings to hone the script, but also to hone our technological skills - and figure out the whole ZOOM thing! There were four virtual readings, and I am indebted to all the actors and directors involved in them. Each pairing brought new insights and new rewrites.”
Dorothy Lyman, We Have to Hurry Playwright
Past Productions
May: Kathleen Chalfant and Elliott Gould
In May 2021, We Have To Hurry made its livestream debut starring Kathleen Chalfant and Elliott Gould via Broadway on Demand. Directed by
June: Alfred Molina and Dorothy Lyman
In June, We Have to Hurry returned to Broadway on Demand. This iteration starred Alfred Molina, Dorothy Lyman, and Jeanne Lauren Smith.
July: JoBeth Williams and Harris Yulin
In July, We Have to Hurry returned to Broadway on Demand. This iteration starred JoBeth Williams, Harris Yulin, and Jeanne Lauren Smith.
Directed by Patricia Vanstone, all three productions were viewed by record breaking audiences worldwide.
Staged Virtual Readings
The first reading took place in October 2020 and starred Dorothy Lyman and Tim Jerome. Directed by Elinor Renfield.
In January 2021, Lyman directed a reading starring Erika Slezak and Brian Kerwin.
In February 2021, Janet-Laine Green and Layne Coleman starred in a staged reading of the script, directed by Patricia Vanstone (Toronto).
In March 2021, Stuffed Olive, Inc. produced alongside Yonder Window Theatre Company a live-stream staged reading of We Have to Hurry. Starring Jill Gottlieb, Michael Gottlieb, and Jeanne Lauren Smith and Directed by Katie McHugh.
The Prequel
In The Bleak Midwinter, Dorothy Lyman’s prequel to We Have to Hurry, premiered at Shetler Studios & Theatres, Theatre 54 in September 2018.
It's a freezing Catskill winter outside on Gladstone Farms and pretty frosty inside the farmhouse kitchen too, as 3 generations of women debate the fate of their matriarch. A holiday weekend with family becomes a fulcrum for change, as recently widowed Elizabeth Gladstone faces old age and the loss of her home. For Elizabeth, the only real question is can the third act of her life really be the best one yet?
Starring Dorothy Lyman, Abigail Hawk, Tim Bohn, Jeanne Lauren Smith, Brennan Lowery, and Shannon Stowe. Directed by Katie McHugh. Produced by Stuffed Olive, Inc.