Lanford Wilson's Fifth of July opened on Broadway at the New Apollo Theatre November 5, 1980. The production, directed by Marshall W. Mason, played 9 previews and 511 performances before closing January 24, 1982. The drama earned five Tony Award nominations including Best Play with Swoosie Kurtz winning Best Featured Actor in a Play.
Part of Wilson’s Talley family trilogy, Fifth of July tells the story of a paraplegic Vietnam War veteran preparing to sell his family's Missouri homestead to fellow college radicals of the 1960s.
The production starred Christopher Reeve as Kenneth Talley, Jr., Jeff Daniels as Jed Jenkins, Swoosie Kurtz as Gwen Landis, Mary Carver as Sally Friedman, Jonathan Hogan John Landis, Joyce Reehling as June Talley, Danton Stone as Weston Hurley, and Amy Wright as Shirley.
Fifth of July featured scenic design by John Lee Beatty, lighting design by Dennis Parichy, and sound design by Chuck London with stage management by Fred Reinglas and Jody Boese. For the complete cast and creative team, visit PlaybillVault.com/FifthOfJuly.
