Chapter Two: A Comedy in Two Acts

by Neil Simon

Full Length, Comedy 2 male, 2 female Complete interior set Recent widower, writer George Schneider, is encouraged by his younger brother Leo to start dating again. Which sends George into even more depression after a series of bad matches. Then Leo comes up with Jennie Malone and she's a keeper. Still, it's a bumpy trip on the road to Dreamland for these not-so-young lovers. George and Jennie stumble on, overcoming both their hesitation on the rebound and

Genres: Plays, Drama, Theatre, Humor, Fiction, Audiobook, Relationships

144 pages, Paperback

First published November 12, 1978

About the author

Marvin Neil Simon was an American playwright and screenwriter. He wrote more than 30 plays and he received more combined Oscar and Tony nominations than any other writer. He was one of the most reliable hitmakers in Broadway history, as well as one of the most performed playwrights in the world. Though primarily a comic writer, some of his plays, particularly the Eugene Trilogy and The Sunshine Boys, reflect on the twentieth century Jewish-American experience.

Reviews

[Lenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second time reading this. It's going to be done at The Montgomery Theater. Hmmmmm. Audition? It's been 25 years.

This was a turning point play for Simon. It delves into some of the depressing issues of life - death of a spouse, divorce, attempts to find love again, and yet he manages to walk the line between comedy and drama that he would later refine, culminating in his masterful Eugene trilogy, "Brighton Beach Memoirs," "Biloxi Blues," and "Broadway Bound."

"Chapter Two" is not quite as good as those three plays, but it is heartfelt, snappy, and offers 4 great roles for actors ready to tackle them. Its structure, bouncing back and forth between two apartments is executed deftly, and the dialogue is vintage Simon.

[Jandi Linde · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 i love jennie sm. a good depiction of the evolution of love and happiness

[Ted Hovey · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Chapter Two" is a delightful two-act play. I marvel at the simplicity of the play's concept, the humor, and the use of incremental perturbations - all of which combine to make the play work.

As a novelist, I find reading plays helpful in understanding the importance of writing dialogue that sounds natural. Not only natural, but also dialogue that holds a reader's/viewer's interest, and moves the action of the plot along.

I've seen only one of Neil Simon's plays performed. That was "Prisoner of Second Avenue," starring Art Carney - in Chicago.

I recommend this short book as an entertaining read. For writers, it is also educational.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

My taste in Neil Simon leans toward plays like this one, where there is a little more drama in the mix. I think he writes women better in this mode, while in some of the super-popular early material, the women get ignored or pushed around by the men too much. But maybe it's just that I feel like a few of those shows (especially The Odd Couple, which I loved when I was younger) have been done so many times that they are almost meaningless now.

[Pinky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A widow and a divorcee still reeling from their previous relationships are set up by well-meaning friends and relatives. It starts off with an accidental call that turns into an apology call followed by a charming call that jumps into some of the best banter to hit the stage. I. Love. Neil. Simon.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic Plot: George (widower) and Jennie (divorcee) are both given a second chance in their romantic lives when they are introduced. The question is: will they take their chance or lose it?

Sometimes when I read a book (or play as the case may be) or see a movie (or whatever) I know that it's just the wrong time to read or see it. Either my mood or my recent experiences have colored my perceptions so that my receptivity to the content is just not there. This is NOT one of those times.

As a divorced woman, I felt for Jennie. As a divorced woman in a new, escalating relationship, the plot of this play fell right into my current experience and I was amazed with how much it completely resonated with me. People who have loved and lost are generally terrified of love when it comes their way again. Do you trust it? Is it real? How soon is too soon? How long will this last? Oh goddess, there's a problem, is this the end? This play explores the ins and outs of the process in the microcosm of George and Jennie's relationship. I really enjoyed it.

I always have to look at plays with my teacher's eye, as that is what I do and why I read these plays-for material to be used in class. There are some slightly racy bits (nothing terrible, I'd call it PG-13 at worst) that might need to be edited for younger performers, but there's a lot of good acting material in there if taken in scenes, and there's even one stellar monologue in there that could be used for my acting class. The banter between the main characters is fantastic.

[Bobby Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this play irritating, mainly because George is an idiot. He pushes Jennie to get married quickly even though he hasn't dealt sufficiently with his grief at being widowed, and then he takes his unhappiness (at being happy!) out on her. The only reason this thing works out at all at the end is that Jennie is understanding in taking his uncalled-for emotional abuse. I'm irritated that George ends up happy at the end, because he doesn't deserve it.

[Chrystal Hays · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a red hardback edition of this, which I suppose is how it was published.
I really enjoyed the quick paced banter and the examination of human nature, which are hallmarks of Simon's work.
There are a few things that I suppose "date" it now, and not references to cultural events. Nonetheless, a good read.

[Lauren Hancock · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a little harder for me to get into, but by the end, I really liked it. It's a fun premise and had very likable characters. Next up in my Neil Simon marathon is one I've been saving: Lost in Yonkers.

[Brian McCann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Simon. I enjoyed rereading this play immensely.

[Mack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought his plays would always be funny. I just didn’t know.

[Hrushikesh Vasuki · Rating 3 out of 5]

RomCom- script was humorous funny to read! Characters were fairly simple!

[Stephanie Prysock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful banter. Fun characters. Lovely monologues. Taking off a star because of the viciousness and cruelty of George to Jennie towards the end.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seinfeld vibes

[Norma · Rating 3 out of 5]

( Format : Audiobook )
"Why is life going by so quickly?"

slick repartee, clever writing, love and fear and excellent acting - but for some reason this play didn't work for me

[Steph Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the first plays I read in high school that I really enjoyed. It’s cool to read it again now that I’m studying theatre in college because I have a whole new perspective on it.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every second of this! The parallel between the four characters, the parallel of events happening. They are flawed and funny and awkward and mean and human. This made me laugh so hard and it made me cry as if I was crying for real people. The plot was unique and it definitely could've gone down a more simple, cliche route but instead it was real and complex.

[Vel Veeter]

The title here refers to “Chapter Two” of a life. Our main characters are a widower and a divorcee who get set up on a date by mutual friends. He’s very much still in mourning, but has emerged in some ways from his grief and she is looking for real love after a disastrous marriage. They begin by talking on the phone, and there’s some brilliantly and falsely disastrous miscommunication that allows them to talk and learn about each other. He meant to call an older woman about something unrelated and ends up talking to her by accident. It’s not exactly a meet-cute, but takes on the energy of on. They talk more and more and eventually begin dating. The curtain falls on act I and we open again on the two of them returning from a honeymoon that has the exact opposite feel of the early phone conversation. Something has gone disastrously wrong. What we soon learn is that our widower spent the entire honeymoon in a funk. And this mood grew and grew and he was never able to have a good time, and this led both of them to feel minor resentments and lash out. This causes them to reach the point of a dangerous brink. He’s still in mourning and he believably says he doesn’t want to feel the way he does and he resents that he’s in this new relationship, after not wanting to leave his old one, and it becomes hard to talk about it because she is hurt by his grief. It goes from there.



I’ve never lost someone but I have dated someone or tried to date someone who realized soon after meeting me that they were still grieving for someone they had lost, and it’s tough for everybody.

[Relyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was probably a the most timeless of any Neil Simon plays I've experienced. One of the things Neil Simon is great at is evoking a sense of time and place. He doesn't in this play, but somehow you don't miss it. It's just wonderful. Funny and entertaining and true. Very true. This was another LA Theaterworks production. They never disappoint. I am going to have to look for more of their recordings.

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was supposed to be a comedy. It wasn't funny. I'd have definitely called it a drama, but what do I know? At any rate, it was pretty good. The dialogue was well-written, and it was interesting. Good character development, and an incredibly detailed set-design. But it was sort of forgettable.

[Nicolas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Serious letdown. I found this to be sloppy and disjointed. It goes for deepness towards the end, but didn't have enough of a buildup to have much of a payoff. It read like a Proto-Jakes's Women. Read that one instead. It's much better.

Tune in here for a discussion on some favorite Neil Simon plays: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

This loses a star for the sudden ending (which I guess is Neil Simon's trademark), but the rest of the play is great. I would love to be in this, as either of male roles. It's funny when it wants to be, but is able to play it straight to great affect. I was surprise how involved I was when reading. Sad, funny and great all around. I just wish the final had more punch.

[Boni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This semi-autobiographical work of Neil Simon delves into the psyche of two people: one suffered pain because of the death of his wife and the other is reeling from a divorce. Eventually, she chooses to be happy.

[Rebecca]

Neil Simon is always a fun read. He has yet to let me down.

And this play is no exception. Jenny and George are two people who worked their way into my heart and I always like to pick this script up again and give it a read.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neil Simon takes grief, infidelity, and divorce and makes it comical. He's the master of modern witty dialogue, and this play is one of my favorites. It's not "laugh out loud" funny,; but funny in spite of the painful truths being portrayed by the characters.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Simon but cute. I'm auditioning for it next month.

[Jana Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably my favorite play. I love it!

[Carol Bayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm looking forward to seeing Theatre Aspen's production this summer.

[Keshov Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of the better plays that I have read. What sets this one apart is the fact that it mixes emotion with subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) comedy.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this play. It runs the gamut of emotions.