“Gal Pals” Out On The Town

I came across this New York Times article and had to share with my Pal Joey pals. It’s always nice to see a cast having fun outside the theater.

A Night Out With | Martha Plimpton
Old Hand, New Hands
By MERVYN ROTHSTEIN
Published: January 30, 2009

From left, Kathryn Mowat Murphy, Martha Plimpton, Krista Saab and Abbey O’Brien of “Pal Joey,” at the Players club.

A HALF-HOUR after finishing her night’s work in “Pal Joey,” Martha Plimpton walked into the Grill at the Players, a private club across from Gramercy Park.

With her were four “Pal Joey” colleagues — Lisa Gajda, Kathryn Mowat Murphy, Abbey O’Brien and Krista Saab — the female dancers from the Roundabout Theater Company revival of the 1940 Rodgers and Hart musical, in which Ms. Plimpton is starring at Studio 54.

Ms. Plimpton planned a session of poker — a game some of the dancers had never played, but which she was eager to teach. “We’ve gone out quite a few times,” she said of the group. “We call each other the Tribe. They’re my protectors and guides.”

Ms. Plimpton, 38, has received two Tony nominations — as best featured actress in “The Coast of Utopia” in 2007 and “Top Girls” last year. This season the critics have been more than kind to her portrayal of Gladys Bumps, a singing and dancing floozy with a grudge. She has also been taking some days off and flying to the West Coast to film a comedy pilot for Showtime — “The End of Steve,” with Matthew Perry of “Friends” as an egomaniacal television talk show host and Ms. Plimpton as his producer.

The Players, founded in 1888 by Edwin Booth and Mark Twain, among others, has long catered to what it calls “members of the dramatic profession.” The Grill’s wall is crowded with portraits of the likes of Lauren Bacall, Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. Ms. Plimpton pointed to a picture of the actor John Carradine. “That’s my grandfather up there,” she said. “That’s pretty cool, huh?” (Her parents are the actor Keith Carradine and the actress Shelley Plimpton.)

“The club’s history is special to me,” Ms. Plimpton added later. “When I was 12 women couldn’t be members” — that changed in 1989 — “and could only attend Saturday lunch and special events. I met my grandfather for Saturday lunch, and as a gift he filled out a membership form for me. It was the only gift he ever gave me. He said I would be the first female member, but in 1989 I was much too young. When I had the means to join I brought the form and joined. Now I’m a board member and I want to introduce more women to the club.”

She put a felt cover on a round table and brought out cards and poker chips. “We’ll start with a minimum of $5,” she said. “The game is Texas Hold ’Em.”

Ms. O’Brien reached for a long plastic card that explained poker hands. “You’re going to have to teach us,” she said. The cards were dealt and, undeterred, Ms. Plimpton began her explanations. After several hands, and much laughter, a man entered the Grill.

“Are you winning?” he asked Ms. Plimpton. He walked over and gave her a more than friendly kiss.

“Baby, how are you?” she asked.

He later identified himself as Edward Owens, a graduate student in international affairs at Columbia. Ms. Plimpton later identified him as her boyfriend.

As the couple briefly discussed that evening’s performance, Ms. O’Brien smiled. In a voice filled with admiration and affection, she said softly, “He’s the cutest nerd of all time.”