This Is Our Youth is a play by American dramatist and screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan. It premiered Off-Broadway in 1996 and has since been produced internationally, including on Broadway, in the West End, and in Australia.
Overview
The play is a three-character drama (1 woman, 2 men) set in March 1982 in Dennis Ziegler's family apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It follows 48 hours in the lives of three young people at the dawn of the Reagan era.
Characters
- Dennis Ziegler (age 21) – A charismatic, domineering small-time drug dealer and college dropout. His father is a famous painter and his mother a social activist.
- Warren Straub (age 19) – A dejected young man who has just stolen $15,000 from his abusive father, a lingerie tycoon. He is Dennis's hero-worshipping friend.
- Jessica Goldman (age 19) – An "anxiously insightful" fashion student whom Warren yearns for.
Plot
Warren arrives at Dennis's apartment after being kicked out by his father, carrying $15,000 he stole from him. Dennis, fearing repercussions from Warren's father (who does business with criminals), devises a plan to use the money to buy and resell cocaine. Jessica arrives for a date, and Warren uses the stolen money to take her to the Plaza Hotel. The next day, tensions rise as the drug deal falls apart, a drug dealer overdoses, and Warren is forced to sell his treasured vintage toy collection. The play explores themes of adolescence, maturity, friendship, betrayal, and the materialism of the 1980s.
Production History
- 1993 – Premiered as a one-act titled Betrayal by Everyone at the MET in New York City.
- 1996 – Opened Off-Broadway at the Intar Theatre (October 26 – November 24), produced by The New Group. Directed by Mark Brokaw, starring Josh Hamilton (Dennis), Mark Ruffalo (Warren), and Missy Yager (Jessica).
- 1998 – Off-Broadway revival at Second Stage Theatre, later transferring to the Douglas Fairbanks Theatre.
- 2002 – West End premiere at the Garrick Theatre (March 2, 2002 – March 15, 2003), starring Jake Gyllenhaal (Warren), Hayden Christensen (Dennis), and Anna Paquin (Jessica). Notable replacements included Matt Damon, Colin Hanks, Freddie Prinze Jr., Casey Affleck, and Kieran Culkin.
- 2012 – Sydney Opera House production starring Michael Cera (Warren), Kieran Culkin (Dennis), and Emily Barclay (Jessica).
- 2014 – Steppenwolf Theatre Company production in Chicago, later transferring to Broadway at the Cort Theatre (previews August 18, opening September 11, 2014 – January 4, 2015). Directed by Anna D. Shapiro, starring Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin, and Tavi Gevinson.
Awards and Nominations
- 1997 – Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Director (Mark Brokaw) – Won
- 1997 – Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play – Nominated
- 1999 – Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play (Mark Ruffalo) – Won
- 2015 – Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play – Nominated
- 2015 – Drama League Award for Distinguished Revival of a Play – Nominated
Critical Reception
The play has been widely praised for its realistic dialogue, character development, and unflinching portrayal of privileged but aimless youth. The New York Times called it "a revealing and offbeat dissection of its world." It ranked 21st in Andy Propst's list of the greatest plays ever written and 12th in the 2018 New York Times critics' list of the best American plays of the past 25 years.
