1971 THE PHILANTHROPIST Broadway Window Card Poster Ethel Barrymore Theatre VG

Description

This is an original vintage window card poster for the 1971 play THE PHILANTHROPIST at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway in New York City.   This window card measures 22” x 14” and is printed on cardboard.   This play was nominated for several awards including the 1971 Tony Awards for Best Play among others with the original Broadway production running at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre for 64 performances from March to May 1971.   The lower margin is printed “Printed by Artcraft Litho. & Ptg. Co., Inc., New York” and has the printers’ union emblem.
This window card has pin holes in the corners and shows some handling wear with the corners a bit bumped and a few small pieces of dried mounting tape on the back of the poster not affecting the artwork or appearance.  The poster displays very nicely and overall condition is very good.  Email any questions.  Thanks for looking.
This poster comes from the collection of a serious theater aficionado who attended hundreds of Broadway shows over a period of 40+ years and collected hundreds of posters, Playbills and other items.   This poster is printed on cardboard and is definitely an old vintage poster with toning from age.   Some of these Broadway posters were reproduced and sold as tourist souvenirs by vendors who sought to capitalize on the plays and musicals popular at the time.   It is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between those that were used to advertise the show and those that were sold as tourist souvenirs but I believe this is original.  It is definitely one produced around the time the show was in run at the theater.
Please see the "Broadway Theatre" category in my eBay store for more from this collection.
The following is information on this play from Wikipedia:
The Philanthropist is a play by Christopher Hampton, written as a response to Molière's The Misanthrope. After a tryout at the Royal Court Theatre, London, the piece premiered on Broadway under the direction of Robert Kidd. Kidd had collaborated with Hampton[1] on When Did You Last See Your Mother? (1964), which had also been staged at the Royal Court Theatre.
Described by Hampton as a "bourgeois comedy", the piece is set in an "English University Town".[2] The Philanthropist demonstrated Hampton's ability "to write witty, subtle and revealing dialogue."[3]
Plot
A CurtainUp! review gave the following summary:[4]
"The prelude to the play is so very clever and it must have marked out the young Christopher Hampton for notice. It reminded me of [Tom] Stoppard's The Real Thing when everything isn't as it seems and the audience are strung along. Philip and Donald are in a tutorial with a student, John, discussing John's play which has a dramatic but unbelievable ending. The first act continues in Philip's rooms in college where his fiancée Celia is cooking dinner for six. First on the guest list is fellow don, and English lecturer, Donald, colleague and confidant of Philip. They are to be joined by a writer, Braham, Araminta and Liz. After a pairing off with lifts offered home, the six mix and meld. The next morning they reap the aftermath of the previous night's sexual activity or even inactivity. "
Productions
A small tryout production was staged in London at the Royal Court Theatre in 1970.[5][6] A further revised production played in 1970 at the May Fair Theatre in London.[7] The Philanthropist then premiered on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on March 15, 1971, following previews from March 11. The cast featured Alec McCowen[8] in the lead role; David Merrick and Michael Codron produced.
The Broadway production ran for 64 performances, closing on May 15, 1971. The New York Times described it as "a good evening of high-class theatrical highjinks that says more than might be seen on the surface".[9] The show was nominated for three Tony Awards, including the 1971 Tony Award for Best Play, and McCowen won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance.[10] Robert Kidd directed the production,[11] which featured set design by John Gunter, costumes by Sara Brook, and lighting by Lloyd Burlingame.[12]
The first revival production opened at the Manhattan Theatre Club on September 27, 1983, playing a limited engagement run until November 20, 1983.[13] The play has been produced regionally many times, including the Bench Theatre Group's 1978 production at the Havant Arts Centre in Havant, Hampshire,[14] and in Duluth, Minnesota in March 2003.[15] A London revival was staged by David Grindley at the Donmar Warehouse, running from September to October 15, 2005, and starring Simon Russell Beale as Philip with Anna Madeley as Celia.[4]
In 2009, the Roundabout Theatre Company produced a revival starring Matthew Broderick, which opened on April 26 at the American Airlines Theatre in New York City.[6] The revival, met with mixed reviews,[16] and closed on June 28, 2009, after 73 performances.[17][18] This production was directed by David Grindley; sets were by Tim Shortall, lighting was by Rick Fisher, and costumes were by Tobin Ost, with sound design by Gregory Clarke.[19]
In 2017 it was revived at London's Trafalgar Studios, directed by Simon Callow, with a cast including Simon Bird, Matt Berry, Charlotte Ritchie, Lily Cole and Tom Rosenthal.
A BBC television adaptation, starring Ronald Pickup as Philip, Helen Mirren as Celia and James Bolam as Don, was screened in October 1975, and is contained in a 6 DVD set of Mirren's work for the BBC.
Characters and casts
Casts of major productions
Character 1971 original Broadway 2005 London revival 2009 Roundabout revival 2017 London revival
Philip Alec McCowen Simon Russell Beale Matthew Broderick Simon Bird
Braham Victor Spinetti Simon Day Jonathan Cake Matt Berry
Liz Carolyn Lagerfelt Bernadette Russell N/A Lowenna Melrose
Elizabeth N/A N/A Samantha Soule
John Paul Corum Simon Bubb Tate Ellington John Seaward
Celia Jane Asher Anna Madeley Charlotte Ritchie
Araminta Penelope Wilton Siobhan Hewlett Jennifer Mudge Lily Cole
Donald Ed Zimmermann Danny Webb Steven Weber Tom Rosenthal
Note: In later versions of the piece, "Elizabeth" replaced the character "Liz".
Awards and nominations
1970 Theatre Critics Awards[20]
Best New Play (winner)
1971 Tony Awards
Best Play (nominee)
Best Actor in Play (McCowen, nominee)
Best Featured Actor in a Play (Zimmermann, nominee)
1971 Drama Desk Awards
Outstanding Performance (McCowen, winner)
2005 Evening Standard Awards[21]
Best Actor (Beale, winner)
2006 Critics' Circle Awards
Best Actor (Beale, winner)
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