Elliott Gould and Kathleen Chalfant Star in We Have to Hurry May 1

BY BETHANY RICKWALD

MAY 01, 2021

The new play by Dorothy Lyman offers a story about older adults.

Oscar nominee and Broadway alum Elliott Gould and Tony nominee Kathleen Chalfant star in a virtual production of Dorothy Lyman’s new play We Have to Hurry May 1 on Broadway on Demand.

Directed by Patricia Vanstone and also featuring Jeanne Lauren Smith, the work follows a pair of mature people forced to commune from across a balcony due to new isolation protocols. When Gil (Gould) notices the secret love of his life, Margaret (Chalfant), growing increasingly frustrated with the situation, he takes action to make every moment left count.

Sound design and technical support for We Have to Hurry are by Josh Liebert. Producers Stuffed Olive, Inc. and Davina Belling will donate all proceeds to The Actors Fund Home East and West.

Below, Gould and Chalfant share their thoughts on Lyman's play and why its vital to make art about the life experiences of older adults.

Elliott Gould: As we get older and the world becomes more complex and demanding, we tend to overlook what’s most important: love, friendship, companionship, and understanding.

We are living longer today and the quality of life for older and elderly people is better than it has ever been. We Have to Hurry by Dorothy Lyman is a deeply important and beautiful story. I am moved by her message that living in the moment, celebrating each other, and true love are within our reach and can be achieved throughout our twilight years.

Kathleen Chalfant: As a 76-year-old person, I think it is very important to have stories that talk about how full a life there is to be lived in what used to be called old age and is now called "senior-ness." We Have to Hurry acknowledges the full humanity of its characters and represents sex after 70 as still sex and still full of joy.

The other thing it addresses is the tendency to retreat that many older people have and why this is neither necessary nor good. I think when my generation was growing up, 76 seemed unimaginably old and dry in all possible senses, so we had no role models for this part of life. Dorothy Lyman is providing a road map for the last 25 years or so. It is a joy to be part of it, and there is much to learn not only as a performer but as a person—and, oh yes, the joy of taking that journey with Elliott can't be overstated.

For more information about the show, click here.