[2] It was then produced by Lester Osterman, Lucille Lortel, and Marc Howard at the Off-Broadway Theatre de Lys, opening on May 15, 1979, and running to December 9, 1979.
[3] The cast:[3] The creatives: The world premiere was held at the Humana Festival at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky on November 2, 1977.
(Dramatists Plays Service Inc.)[5] "Released from prison Arlene returns to a run-down apartment in Louisville, intent on starting her life over.
But her struggles to find her way in the present (as Arlene) is counterpointed by flashbacks of her past (as Arlie), her two personalities being represented by two performers, who sometimes appear onstage simultaneously.
Ultimately, the play, like life, offers no simple answers---but it conveys, with heart-rending honesty and compassion, the struggle of someone fighting for her life against incredible odds" (Dramatists Play Service Inc.)[5] Marsha Norman won the 1979 Outer Critics Circle John Glassner Award,[6] and Susan Kingsley won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New Talent.