Benchley Despite Himself

The American Century Theater and Penguin/Peacock Productions team up to present Benchley Despite Himself as the next installment of TACT’s “Reflections” series, which produces new plays that explore 20th Century figures, events, and movements. The show will add humorist and Hollywood character actor Robert Benchley to the group of Americans already brought to the life in “Reflections”: Orson Welles, Marc Blitzstein, Clarence Darrow, Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine.

None of them, however, were portrayed by a relative. Robert Benchley is played by his grandson, Nat Benchley, who is a distinguished Washington-based actor with many credits in film, television, and stage, including a Helen Hayes nomination and a prominent role in TACT’s acclaimed and Helen Hayes nominated The Andersonville Trial. Benchley is a chronicler of his grandfather’s writing and performing career, which includes scores of skits, essays, articles and reviews, all with a trademark combination of dry wit, irony and nonsense that has been openly imitated by humorist from Woody Allen to Dave Barry, but as they would be the first to admit, never equaled. The show hop scotches back and forth among Benchley’s various ventures in New York (as a member of the legendary Algonquin Round Table and Hollywood (as an actor and screenwriter in scores of films from the Depression through the Second World War).

There are Saturday matinees starting February 15 at 2:30 pm and selected Sunday matinees at 2:30 pm.