Centered on the Pope's 1965 visit to New York City, The House of Blue Leaves follows Artie Shaughnessy, a zoo-keeper who dreams of being a big-time songwriter, whose middle-class Queens existence is filled with colorful characters including his schizophrenic stay-at-home wife Bananas, his vivacious mistress Bunny and an AWOL son with dreams of his own.
What Is the Story of The House of Blue Leaves?
Set in Sunnyside, Queens, on the day Pope Paul VI visited New York in 1965, The House of Blue Leaves centers on zookeeper and would-be songwriter Artie Shaughnessy. Desperate to escape life with his schizophrenic wife, Bananas, Artie is having an affair with his flamboyant neighbor, Bunny Flingus. The ambitious Bunny hatches a plan to commit Bananas and move to Hollywood so that Artie can collaborate with his childhood friend Billy Einhorn, who grew up to be a famous film director. Also on the scene are Artie and Bananas’ troubled son, a deaf movie actress and a trio of excitable nuns. By the end of this historic day, whose dreams will come true?
