| Quills | |
| Director: | Howard Shalwitz |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Setting: | 1807 France |
| Premiere: | 3 November 1995 |
| Place: | New York Theatre Workshop |
| Orig Lang: | English |
| Subject: | moral nihilism, atheism, sadism, pornography |
Quills is a 1995 play written by American playwright Doug Wright. The critically acclaimed work is based on the final days of the Marquis de Sade and was directed by Howard Shalwitz. It first opened at the New York Theatre Workshop in 1995 and ran from November 3 to December 22. Wright received a Obie Award for Best Playwright.[1] [2] He later adapted it into the 2000 feature film of the same name directed by Philip Kaufman.
The play set in 1807 during the Reign of Terror as a part of the French Revolution centers around the writings and final days of the controversial author and libertine the Marquis de Sade portrayed by Rocco Sisto who earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for his performance.
The play revolves around the Marquis de Sade who is imprisoned at the insane asylum Charenton. There he continues to write and due to the vivacious and curious young laundry maid, Madeleine LeClerc, he is able to secretly publish them through her. The Marquis has daily spirited debates involving morality and atheism with the Catholic priest Abbé de Coulmier. During his stay the conservative and brutal Dr. Royer-Collard, a newly appointed chief physician, battles with the Marquis at the behest of Renée Pélagie, the Marquis' wife.[3]
| Character | New York Theatre Workshop 1995 | Feature film adaptation 2000 |
|---|---|---|
| Marquis de Sade | Rocco Sisto | Geoffrey Rush |
| Abbé de Coulmier | Jefferson Mays | Joaquin Phoenix |
| Madeleine Leclerc | Katy Selverstone | Kate Winslet |
| Dr. Royer-Collard | Daniel Oreskes | Michael Caine |
| Simone / Madame Royer-Collard | Katy Selverstone | Amelia Warner |
| Monsieur Prouix | Kirk Jackson | Stephen Moyer |
| Renée Pélagie | Lola Pashalinski | Jane Menelaus |
The production premiered at the New York Theatre Workshop in 1995 running from November 3 through December 22.[4]
Critical reception for the play was positive. Vincent Canby of The New York Times raved about the direction and performances as well as its text writing, "[Wright] successfully blends intentional archness, grotesque exaggeration and bold humor to create a theatrical experience of real wit". He added "Quills doesn't mean to be an epic. It's a theatrical entertainment that manages to be serious fun along the way."[5] Variety theatre critic Jeremy Gerard lavished praise on the production describing it as "sensational in every sense of the word...[it's] smirky, gross-out fun with a purpose. It's an amazing show". He compared it to the likes of "Titus Andronicus by way of Sweeney Todd or Pulp Fiction by way of Carrie.[6]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Obie Award | Best Playwright | Doug Wright | [7] | ||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Rocco Sisto | [8] | |||
In 2000 Wright adapted the project to the screen working with director Philip Kaufman.[9] The film was distributed by Fox Searchlight and starred Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet, Joaquin Phoenix, and Michael Caine.[10] The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival to critical acclaim[11] and later named the Best Film at the National Board of Review.[12] Wright was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay and the film went on to receive three Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design.[13] [14]