This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Arts & Entertainment

'Born Yesterday' Is as Relevant Today as When it Premiered 64 Years Ago

Pierce College will mount the exclusive West Coast production before a revival on Broadway.

L.A. Pierce College Theatre Arts Department presents the classic screwball comedy, Born Yesterday, written by award winning Garson Kanin

The play, which opens April 1, is the exclusive West Coast engagement before a revival on Broadway.

It conveys a 1940s era look at power, affluence, and unmitigated avarice.  Part romantic comedy, part political satire it is still timely today; Born Yesterday condemns American political corruption while at the same time applauds and underscores the benefits of a good classical education.

Find out what's happening in Northridge-Chatsworthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 The play’s main character, Harry Brock, is a scrap metal magnate.  He is also an uncouth and corrupt tycoon.  Brock comes to Washington, D.C., determined to benefit his business by buying influence from the lawmakers on Capitol Hill. 

Accompanying him is his beautiful but illiterate blonde ex-chorus-girl mistress, Billie Dawn.  Her ignorance in front of the people with whom he’s trying to make business deals becomes an embarrassment to Harry; he hires a journalist by the name of Paul Verrall to teach Billie some smarts. 

Find out what's happening in Northridge-Chatsworthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

What starts out as a good idea eventually backfires on Harry.  Billie starts to absorb the education like a sponge, especially the parts about lawmaking and politics.  She becomes morally offended when she realizes that her boyfriend is extremely corrupt.  When she discovers that Harry is trying to bribe a Congressman into passing laws that would line Harry’s pockets, Billie resolves to do everything in her power to interfere with his plans. 

Born Yesterday opened at New York’s Lyceum Theater on Feb. 4, 1946.  That was the beginning of a Broadway box office record breaking 1,642 performances.   Billie Dawn was played by Judy Holliday, who also starred in the 1950 film adaptation which catapulted Holliday into motion picture stardom.

 The stage production was revived in 1989 on Broadway and ran for six months.  Ed Asner played Harry Brock and Madeline Kahn received a Tony Award nomination for her performance as Billie Dawn.

 This spring there will be a second Broadway revival of Born Yesterday.  However, we on the West Coast are most fortunate because L.A. Pierce College was granted the exclusive West Coast production rights to Born Yesterday prior to the Broadway revival.

Born Yesterday has lost none of the luster of its relevancy nor the wit of its repartee over the years. As long as money still talks, corruption still exists in Washington, and women still defy stereotypes, Born Yesterday will ring true.  Broadway.com calls it “a sparkling play of ideas that makes the audience think the hardest in the middle of a laugh.”

Pierce College’s production will be directed by Valorie Grear. Scenic design is by Gene Putnam, with costume design by Suzanne Scott, lighting design by Michael Gend and sound design by Edward Salas.

Born Yesterday opens on Friday, April 1 at 8 p.m., with additional performances on Saturday, April 2 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, April 3 at 2 p.m.; Friday, April 8 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 9 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, April 10 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available by calling 818-719-6488.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?