New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu


?>

 

For Better Or Worse...


By Gary Wien

originally published: 02/20/2016


In For Worse, playwright Deborah Rennard examines the question of marriage and fidelity in today’s world. Thirty years and three daughters later, Peter informs his wife that he’s been having an affair and has fallen in love.  The admission came under pressure from his girlfriend who threatened to end the affair if he didn’t leave his wife.  He’s under the impression that telling his wife about the affair will set him free, but he couldn’t be more wrong.

Peter’s plan unravels when his wife tells him that she still loves him and wants to work things out.  So, now he’s got a wife trying to hang on to a relationship, a girlfriend who issued the ultimatum to leave his wife or it’s all over, and another girl he’s seeing as well.  You’ll have to see the world premiere of For Worse at New Jersey Repertory Company this March to see how it all works out.  That is, if it does work out.

The comedic play features Kristin Griffith, Ed Kershen, Daniela Mastropietro, and Angie Tennant.  Evan Bergman returns to NJ Rep to direct the production, which is the first play of Rennard’s to be fully staged.  Rennard began as an actress, portraying JR’s secretary on the hit television show Dallas for a decade and then worked as a producer before turning to writing.  She says she always wanted to write, but didn’t think she had anything to say. With For Worse, she’s not only found her voice, she’s crafted a very funny play about a serious problem - one that she’s had personally experienced.

“The play alternates between a kind of wacky take on an age old problem into seriousness,” explained Rennard.  “It sort of fluctuates back and forth.  I walk a tightrope, but it’s fun.  The audiences love it and everyone seems to relate to this long time married couple where the husband decides, ‘I’m done.  I’m going to go and run off with a young woman.’ And the wife is like ‘No! I’m not going to let you do that! We’ve been together for 30 years, I’m not just letting you go.’  It all snowballs into fun stuff, but is grounded so it’s not silly or superficial.  It comes from truth and pain.”

“I think it’s something people can relate to,” she continued.  “Not only because of possibly their own experience but that of someone they know.  When I wrote this, I started listening to a lot of other couples my age and this is a real current situation.  A lot of people are getting divorced in their 50s, so it seems to strike a nerve.”




Reach New Jersey's largest arts & entertainment audience, click here for info on how to advertise at NJ Stage



The idea for the play came from the question as to whether or not the old-fashioned belief in one marriage for a lifetime was over.  With so many people having affairs and even websites that make it easy to find other adulterous people, is a monogamous, committed marriage even possible in today’s world?

Rennard said she posed that question because the issue was personal to her and to many of her friends.  The more she looked into it, the more she realized just how large the problem was.  Between the divorce rate and the number of people who openly admit that they cheat on their spouse, she recognized it as a true issue in today’s society.

“I think that you pose a question and examine different sides of that question,” she said.  “You have characters who have opposing viewpoints and present them, and then you let people decide for themselves.  I’m not telling anybody anything.  It’s not like I have all the answers.”

Interestingly enough, it was Rennard’s relationship with her ex-husband that led to her writing career.  When she was in her early thirties, she met Paul Haggis, a successful television writer who would move on to films (winning Oscars for Million Dollar Baby and Crash). He was working on a series called Due South in Toronto when they started dating.  A true workaholic, she soon realized that if she ever wanted to spend time with him she needed to hang out with him in the production offices.  Since she was always curious about producing, this turned into a good opportunity for her.  

After co-writing an episode of Due South with Haggis, she became more involved in the entire process. She spent hundreds of hours with him in the editing room where he would ask her opinions.  Soon she was put to work in development, reading scripts to find new writers for the show.  She continued to do this on other shows by Haggis including EZ Streets and Family Law.  On the latter, she officially became a co-producer.

“Writing is very new for me,” said Rennard.  “Aside from co-writing that one episode with Paul in the early 90s, I didn’t do any other writing until I started writing plays about seven years ago.  I started writing because I felt it was time.  I felt I had something to say and theatre seemed to be the medium I wanted to say it in.  I think it helped me that I was in a world (because of Paul) of A-List actors and directors as opposed to being a brand new playwright where I might be lucky to get any old actor to read my plays.  I wrote my first play and we invited a bunch of friends to come over and read it around our dinner room table and my friends were all name actors.  They were people who could give me very good notes and advice.  I was very fortunate that way.”

For Worse would go on to more staged readings; a process that helped shape the finished version.  One character was eliminated and the ending was ultimately changed. She said she thought the beginning and middle parts were strong, but the ending never felt satisfying to her.  She just kept plugging away until it all came together one day.




Reach New Jersey's largest arts & entertainment audience, click here for info on how to advertise at NJ Stage



“There’s a lot of autobiographical stuff in this for me,” said Rennard. “You have to write from a place of truth and then you elaborate, take it to extremes, or add something else.  I don’t know how anybody writes from a place that isn’t truth.  I think you have to connect to an issue on a very deep level and then bring something original to it.  Otherwise, you’re just talking about something you’ve heard about.  And then, of course, it’s drama.  What is drama but heightening the conflict; that’s when you need to figure out ‘what do I need to bring in here to dramatize this so it isn’t just autobiographical?’  I think the best work has those roots and elements in it.”

 

For Worse by Deborah Rennard

March 10 through April 10

NJ Rep,  179 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ

www.njrep.org

 




Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station The Penguin Rocks. He can be contacted at gary@newjerseystage.com.

FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


Vivid

Vivid Summer Solos: Where is Everybody?

Wednesday, July 09, 2025 @ 6:30pm
Visual Arts Center of New Jersey
68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ 07901
category: theatre


 

A

A Broadway Tour of America

Thursday, July 10, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Grunin Center - Black Box Theater
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754
category: theatre


 

The

The MAC players at the Middletown Arts Center present "Hairspray"

Friday, July 11, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Middletown Arts Center
36 Church Street, Middletown, NJ 07748
category: theatre


 

A

A Broadway Tour of America

Friday, July 11, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Grunin Center - Black Box Theater
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ 08754
category: theatre


 

The

The Wizard of Oz

Saturday, July 12, 2025 @ 2:00pm
Algonquin Arts Theatre
60 Abe Voorhees, Manasquan, NJ 08736
category: theatre


 


 

EVENT PREVIEWS

Original

Original 'RENT' Cast Member and Obie Award-winner Anthony Rapp to Teach Master Class at Gateway Playhouse

(SOMERS POINT, NJ) -- Somers Point's Gateway Playhouse is thrilled to announce that original Broadway cast member of the international hit, Jonathan Larson's "RENT," and Obie Award-winner, Anthony Rapp, will teach a master class to the all-teenage cast of "RENT: School Edition" on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, as part of the Gateway to the Arts program. The class runs from 9:00am to noon.



Two

Two River Theater Announces Lineup for Their 14th Annual Crossing Borders (Cruzando Fronteras) Festival

(RED BANK, NJ) -- Two River Theater's celebrated Crossing Borders (Cruzando Fronteras) Festival of new plays by Latine playwrights will take place from Thursday, July 31 to Sunday, August 3, 2025 in the Joan and Robert M. Rechnitz Theater. Now in its 14th year, this annual event joyfully showcases the richness, diversity, creativity, and talent of Latine theater artists. All festival events are open and free to the public.



Players

Players Guild of Leonia to Hold Auditions for "Where The Time Goes"

​​​​​​​(LEONIA, NJ) -- The Players Guild of Leonia will hold auditions for Where The Time Goes on Tuesday, July 15 and Wednesday, July 16, 2025 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm each night at their theater. This is a World Premiere musical featuring the iconic songs of The Baby Boomer Generation.



Speranza

Speranza Theatre Company presents "Princess Pals"

(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Speranza Theatre Company, joined by students from Speranza Studio's Summer Acting Intensive, presents its summer stage production, Princess Pals, from July 11-19, 2025 outdoors at the Museum of Jersey City History at The Apple Tree House. Written and directed by Nick Radu-Blackburn. Happily Ever was just the beginning... turns out "after" isn’t all it's cracked up to be. Bored after their fairy tale endings, princess-frenemies embark on a mischievous adventure. Can they put their differences aside to save their kingdoms, all while dealing with an unexpected twist?



Raconteur

Raconteur Radio presents Theatrical Adaptation of "The Hobbit" at Ocean County Library Barnegat Branch

(BARNEGAT,NJ) -- Feel like taking a journey through Middle Earth? Raconteur Radio presents a special theatrical presentation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 at the Barnegat Branch of the Ocean County Library. The event begins at 7:00pm.