Paul Rudnick is a classic under-achiever. Amongst his ever-so-brief list of credits can be found:
I Hate Hamlet, Jeffrey, The Naked Eye, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Valhalla and The New Century. That’s just some of his theatre credits.
For film he adapted Jeffrey, wrote Addams Family Values, the remake of The Stepford Wives and perhaps his best known film is In & Out. The film starred Kevin Kline as a high school teacher who professed heterosexuality, but everyone wondered why he didn’t come out already. He was forced out when a former student outs him when he accepted an Academy Award. (Rudnick was inspired by Tom Hanks acceptance speech for his Best Actor Oscar for Philadelphia.)
So fertile is the territory of awards show that Rudnick is returning to that ground with his new play Big Night. The show opens on Saturday at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Again Oscar night plays a role as a working actor finds out how much this night will change his life. Will it be for profession or personal reasons? Or both?
