The Big Funk

by John Patrick Shanley

A series of self-revelations opens the book of life on the characters, drawing their view of life. From here we watch them interact: Omar throws knives for a living and muses about the state of the world. His understanding wife, Fifi, suddenly pregnant with twins, acts as a rudder for him, and often for his friend, Austin, an out of work actor, who believes the world would be a better place if everyone would do something, even one small act of kindness. He follows his own advice when he comes upon Jill, a young woman sitting in a bar, covered with grease. Jill had been attracted to Gregory, but on their first date, he berates her and covers her with petroleum jelly. When Austin finds her, he must break through her distrust of strangers and persuade her to let him clean her as an act of mercy. He succeeds and gives her a wonderful bubble bath, the cleansing becoming a metaphor for the play: that the big funk engulfing society will dissipate only if everyone will join in the purification process. A dinner party later reveals the zany and deep way in which the characters try to make things better, despite their obstacles and even their triumphs. The play's theme is summed up by Austin, addressing the world in a very unique way, asking us all to chose love and life over neurosis and death.

Genres: Plays

72 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1991

About the author

John Patrick Shanley was born in The Bronx, New York City, to a telephone operator mother and a meat-packer father. He is a graduate of New York University, and is a member of the Ensemble Studio Theatre.

For his script for the 1987 film, Moonstruck, Shanley won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen.

In 1990, Shanley directed his script of Joe Versus the Volcano. Shanley also wrote two songs for the movie: "Marooned Without You" and "The Cowboy Song."

In 2004 Shanley was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame.

In 2005, Shanley's play Doubt: A Parable was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Drama Desk Award and Tony Award for Best Play. Doubt: A Parable, is featured in The Fourth Wall, a book of photographs by Amy Arbus in which Shanley also wrote the foreword.

In 2008, Shanley directed a film version of Doubt starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams.

Reviews

[Abigail Morrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super short. Quick read. I really love Shanley’s writing, even when I don’t quite get the concept of the particular play off the bat. This one made sense to me on an emotional level, even though on a very analytical level it was out there. Anyways, I think I’ll branch out and return to Shanley’s other plays again in the future.

[your neighborhood friendly book python :D · Rating 4 out of 5]

have to read this for drama since my monologue comes from it, a pretty good play overall

[Steven · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some great ideas throughout this play. It’s also a pretentious mess, with characters' constant self-awareness that they are in a play and stepping out of scenes and commenting on the proceedings, and delivering lengthy monologues about how society is falling apart. Seeing it performed might elevate it from how it comes across on the page, but it’s my least favorite Shanley play that I’ve read so far.

[Esther Tucker-boyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great show to direct!