A Play That Reconsiders the Legacy of Ernie Bushmiller’s Nancy Strip
In 1976, the comic strip Nancy, created by Ernie Bushmiller and published from 1938 to 1982 across hundreds of newspapers, featured a young girl, her glamorous aunt Fritzi, and her tough boyfriend Sluggo. The strip’s simple artwork and recurring gags became a subject of commentary, with some humorists and scholars critiquing its style.
Tom Gammill, a writer known for shows such as Saturday Night Live, Late Night with David Letterman, Seinfeld, and The Simpsons, stars in a limited-run play in New York City. He portrays Bushmiller as a creator who embraces his own comedic conventions, working in his studio on four Nancy strips simultaneously while receiving visitors.
The production, directed by Owen Klein, includes Lauren Servideo in various roles and Peter Lurye’s original score co-written with Gammill. The play presents a reevaluation of Bushmiller’s work through a narrative that acknowledges both its historical context and artistic significance, without inventing facts or opinions.
Quelle: Boing Boing ↗