Jitters

by David Benson French

Jitters, David French’s sophisticated backstage comedy, opens on the night of a preview of a new play, “The Care and Treatment of Roses.” Within minutes, the audience is plunged into the world of the theatre, a world of instant loves and hates, easily bruised egos, contradictory interpretations of role and script—all complicated by crises involving faulty props, lost lines and bad reviews, and all magnified by the opening night “jitters” of cast, crew, writer and director.

First performed in 1979, Jitters was an instant critical and commercial success. In just a few years, the play was produced in nearly every regional theatre in Canada and enjoyed several American performances as well; and the published edition, introduced by Talonbooks in 1980, has gone through many printings. The play has been substantially changed in the process of undergoing its more than one hundred productions, and appears here in its revised edition.

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Drama

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

David Benson French, OC was a Canadian playwright, most noted for his "Mercer Plays" series.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

No character distinction. Too bitter. Requires PA system. Not for us.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring yawning anticlimactic not enough depth to characters boring yawning

[Lucile Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

179. Jitters by David French
This is a comedy and there is nothing of Newfoundland in it, except French’s wonderful humor. We are taken backstage on stage for the opening of a play that is starring a Canadian actress coming back to Toronto and trying to make a comeback. The four character play within a play is not going that well. The cast hate each other, and George, the director and Nick, the technical person who is also the overbearing Equity rep, as well as the wardrobe and prop girls, are having a hard time holding this together. To top it off, a famous New York producer may be coming to see the play and there is a possibility of New York and Broadway. The playwright is on the scene as well, and has to fill in for one of the actors at one point. This is a fun read, and shows the self-centredness and naked ambition of theatre people.

[Renna Mira (AKA Enna Isilee) · Rating 3 out of 5]

First two acts were really good and funny (minus profanity). But the third act just seemed mean spirited, and didn't resolve much. Not one I'm eager to be in or produce any time soon.

[Lyric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silly little comedy about a theater group that is about to mount a play. The cast and crew bicker and fight as the climactic opening night approaches.