Wonder Of The World
August 8-10 & 15-17, 2008

The Playwright

DAVID LINDSAY-ABAIRE is an Pulitzer Prize winning American playwright, best known for Fuddy Meers and for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Drama Rabbit Hole. He grew up in Boston, Massachusetts in a family of five he describes as "very blue collar." He attended Boston public schools until the seventh grade, when he received a six-year scholarship to the Milton Academy, a small private New England boarding school. It was there that he first became interested in writing for the theatre. He went on to concentrate in theatre at Sarah Lawrence College, and was accepted into the Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program at the Juilliard School, where he wrote under the tutelage of Marsha Norman and Christopher Durang. Lindsay-Abaire has received awards from the Berilla Kerr Foundation, the Lincoln Center LeComte du Nuoy Fund, Mixed Blood Theater, Primary Stages, the Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Festival, and the South Carolina Playwrights Festival. Among his influences, Lindsay-Abaire lists 1930s screwball comedy films My Man Godfrey, Twentieth Century, and “anything by Preston Sturges, Frank Capra, the Marx Brothers, and Abbott and Costello.” Walking a fine line between grave reality and joyous lunacy, the world of his plays is often dark, funny, blithe, enigmatic, hopeful, ironic, and somewhat cockeyed. "My plays tend to be peopled with outsiders in search of clarity." Other plays include Rabbit Hole, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play, Kimberly Akimbo (2000), Wonder of the World (2000), Dotting and Dashing (1999), Snow Angel (1999), The L'il Plays (1997), and A Devil Inside (1997). Lindsay-Abaire's most recent project was the book for the musical High Fidelity. He is also providing the book and lyrics for the musical Shrek.

The Premiere & The Critics

Wonder of The World premiered shortly after the terrorist attacks of 09/11/01. It debuted at NYC’s Off-Broadway Manhattan Theatre Club and ran for a limited engagement from November 1st, 2001 through January 2nd, 2002. The original cast included: Sarah Jessica Parker, Amy Sedaris, Mary Louise Burke, Kristine Nielsen, Kevin Chamberlin, Bill Raymond and Alan Tudyk.

"Hefty laughter. David Lindsay-Abaire's Wonder of the World is exceedingly whimsical and playfully wicked. Winning and genial. A top-drawer production." — The New York Times.

"Full frontal lunacy is on display. A most assuredly fresh and hilarious tragi-comedy of marital discord run amok. Lindsay-Abaire's flair for the absurd combines nicely with an ability to pull laughs out of any situation. Absolutely hysterical. A perfect season ender." — Variety.

"People in psychic pain have never agonized so hilariously as in David Lindsay-Abaire's revved-up, joyously zany play." — The Washington Post.

"Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire should cement his reputation with his newest effort, a wonderfully daffy, surreal extravaganza. Wonder of the World is a hilarious confection. Lindsay-Abaire further establishes himself here as a writer with a terrific gift for absurdist humor, leavened with just enough doses of seriousness to provide emotional resonance." — The Hollywood Reporter.

"Wild and crazy. David Lindsay-Abaire delights in the demented." — The Associated Press.

Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls are a massive waterfall on the Niagara River, straddling the international border that separates the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. The falls are 17 miles north-northwest of Buffalo, New York, 75 miles south-southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.

Niagara Falls is composed of two major sections separated by Goat Island: Horseshoe Falls, on the Canadian side of the border and American Falls on the United States side. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls also is located on the American side, separated from the main falls by Luna Island. Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the last ice age, and water from the newly-formed Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean. While not exceptionally high, the Falls are very wide.

More than six million cubic feet of water falls over the crest every minute in high flow, and almost 4 million cubic feet on average. It is the most powerful waterfall in all of North America.

The Niagara Falls are renowned both for their beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Managing the balance between recreational,commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 1800s, and continues to be to this day.

Over The Falls

In October 1829, Sam Patch, who called himself "The Yankee Leapster" jumped from a high tower into the gorge below the falls and survived; this began a long tradition of daredevils trying to go over the Falls.

On October 24 1901 63-year-old Michigan school teacher, Annie Edson Taylor was the first person to go over the Falls in a barrel as a publicity stunt; she survived, bleeding, but virtually unharmed. Soon after exiting the barrel, she said, "No one should ever try that again."

Since Taylor's historic ride, 14 other people have intentionally gone over the Falls in or on a device, despite her advice. Some have survived unharmed, but others have drowned or been severely injured. Survivors of such stunts face charges and stiff fines, as it is illegal on both sides of the border to go over the Falls.

Other daredevils of note include: Canadian Karel Soucek successfully plunged over the Horseshoe Falls in a barrel with only minor injuries on July 2, 1984. Soucek was fined $500 for performing the stunt.

In August 1985, Steve Trotter became the youngest person ever (age 22) and the first American in 25 years to go over the Falls in a barrel. Ten years later, Trotter went over the Falls again, becoming the second person to go over the Falls twice and survive.

Kirk Jones of Canton, Michigan became the first known person to survive a plunge without a flotation device on October 20, 2003. Jones survived the 16-story fall with only battered ribs, scrapes, and bruises.

Maid Of The Mist

The Maid of the Mist is a boat tour of Niagara Falls. The boat starts off at a calm part of the Niagara River, near the Rainbow Bridge, and takes its passengers past the American and Bridal Veil Falls, then into the dense mist of spray inside the curve of the Horseshoe Falls. The tour is available starting from either the Canadian or U.S. side of the river, returning to the starting point in each case.

The first Maid of the Mist was launched in 1846 as a ferry service between the Canadian and American sides, pre-dating by two years the construction of the first suspension bridge at the site. However, with the opening of the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge further downriver in 1848, the ferry service lost business, and by 1854 was a tourist attraction. While on his 1860 tour of Canada, Prince Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), rode on the Maid of the Mist.

Financial difficulties and the impending American Civil War forced the boat to be sold to a Montreal firm in 1860, and formal service was not restored until 1893, when two new boats were constructed and launched under a new partnership, Maid of the Mist Steamboat Company.

The Maid of the Mist is well known for its role in the July 9, 1960 rescue of Roger Woodward, a seven-year old boy who became the first person to survive a plunge over the Horseshoe Falls with nothing but a life jacket. The boat involved in the rescue (known as Maid II) was retired from service in 1983 and relocated to the Amazon River, where it served as a missionary ship for years after.

Monroe in Niagara

Producer Charles Brackett wanted to do a film against the dynamic backdrop of Niagara Falls and summoned writers Walter Reisch and Richard Breen to work up a suitable script based on his ideas. As devised by these veteran screenwriters, the plot was perfect to display not only Marilyn's talents as a dramatic actress but also her image as a blonde bombshell.

Shot on location in the late spring and summer of 1952, Niagara was directed by Henry Hathaway, a competent craftsman who had built a secure reputation in Hollywood. Marilyn starred as a cunning adulteress named Rose Loomis, a character much harsher than those she had played in her earlier films. Niagara revolves around Rose's plot to murder her neurotic husband, George, who suffers painful memories of his war experiences. Joseph Cotten costarred as George, who like Rose is an unsympathetic yet oddly likable character. Rose exhibits none of the naiveté that was a key element of Marilyn's image; the character uses her sexual attractiveness and her bold good looks to manipulate her husband and lover into doing what she wants.

The role of Rose Loomis was tailored to take advantage of the sexual nature of Marilyn's image yet gave her a valuable opportunity to stretch her acting skills. Touting the film's strong points in most reviews, the critics deemed the film a success and singled out Marilyn for her performance.

Critics may have had their doubts about Marilyn, but the public made her a full-fledged star after the release of Niagara in January 1953. The film grossed over six million dollars that year, a tidy sum for the era.

Peanut Butter

The original comfort food bread spread, Peanut butter was allegedly invented by the Mayan culture as a protein source for those lacking the ability to chew. A popular misconception is that George Washington Carver invented peanut butter. He did not. However he did identify over 300 uses for peanuts.

There are many types of peanuts. In the U.S., Runner Types and Spanish Types are two families of peanuts grown in southern states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. The first three states produce 60% of the peanuts that are used in peanut butter.

Harvested peanuts are sent to factories for inspection, roasted in ovens, and rapidly air-cooled to stop cooking. The cooked peanuts are then rubbed to remove the outer skin. The kernels are split with the hearts removed and then cleaned and sorted.

Next, the peanuts are sent to the grinder. A second grinding stage, which may combine the peanut butter with salt, sweetener, grinds them finely. The oils will separate after a time; unstabilized varieties in particular are best refrigerated to prevent the oil from separating out, but which makes the butter harder to spread.

About half of shelled U.S. peanut production was used to make peanut butter as of 2001. The United States is the world's largest peanut butter supplier and consumer. Along with Argentina and China, it is one of the world's three largest exporters of peanuts. Peanuts grown in other countries are usually harvested for peanut oil, a type of cooking oil.

The Barbie Doll

Ruth Handler watched her daughter at play with paper dolls, and noticed that she often enjoyed giving them adult roles. Realizing that there could be a gap in the market, Handler suggested the idea of an adult-bodied doll to her husband Elliot, a cofounder of the Mattel toy company. He was less than unenthusiastic with the idea.

During a trip to Europe in 1956 with her children Barbara and Kenneth, Ruth Handler came across German toy doll called Bild Lilli. The adult-figured Lilli doll was exactly what Handler had in mind, so she purchased three of them. She gave one to her daughter and took the others back to Mattel.

Upon her return to the United States, Handler reworked the design and the doll was given a new name, Barbie, after Handler's daughter Barbara. The doll made its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959. This date is also used as Barbie's official birthday.

The doll was marketed as a "Teen-Age Fashion Model," with her clothes created by Mattel fashion designer Charlotte Johnson. The first Barbie dolls were manufactured in Japan, with their clothes hand-stitched by Japanese homeworkers. Around 350,000 Barbie dolls were sold during the first year of production.

Barbie was one of the first toys to have marketing on television advertising, which has been copied widely by other toys. It is estimated that over a billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide in over 150 countries, with Mattel claiming that three Barbie dolls are sold every second.