The Chopin Playoffs

by Israel Horovitz

The time is 1947, and Stanley Rosen and Irving Yanover, lifelong friends now approaching young manhood, find themselves pitted against each other on two fronts. Both are piano prodigies, and will be rivals in a forthcoming, and prestigious, competition. And both, unfortunately, are smitten by the same girl, the lovely Fern Phipps, who (to the dismay of both the Rosen and Yanover families) is not even Jewish. But friendship wins out over ambition when both boys contrive to play poorly in the competition-so that neither will win. Also, as Fern has decided to award her favor to the winner of the piano contest, that problem is dealt with as well. And, again, all is put forth with such good humor and warmth that the play, like the others in the trilogy, becomes a lesson in the value of simple, family virtues and the essential brotherhood of man.

Genres: Plays

72 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Israel Horovitz has written more than 80 plays, several of which have been translated into as many as 30 languages and performed worldwide. His play Line reached 50 years of continuous performance, off-Broadway, at 13th Street Repertory Theatre.

Horovitz is Founding Artistic Director of Gloucester Stage Company, and of the New York Playwrights Lab. For two decades, he taught a bilingual screenwriting workshop with writers from la Fémis, France’s national film school, and Columbia University’s graduate film program. Has also written or adapted numerous plays for BBC Radio. (Click on link for listing and description of plays.)

He is married to Gillian Adams-Horovitz, former British National Marathon Champion and Record holder, and former USA Track & Field (Masters) Marathon Champion. The Horovitz family divides its time among homes in Gloucester, Massachusetts, NYC’s Greenwich Village, and London’s Dulwich Village. Mr. Horovitz visits France, frequently, where he often directs French-language productions of his plays. He is the most-produced American playwright in French theatre history.