What a beautifully written, powerful play. My daughter will be reading this in her English class next week--she let me read it ahead of time and I'm so glad I did. ( )

I read this play at the same time as Hansberry's _A Raisin in the Sun_. I will be reading this with my 11th graders in the coming weeks, and _Raisin_ with my 9th graders. It is interesting to see how these two plays depict the African-American experience in the 1950's, on the verge of the civil rights movement, in cities like Pittsburgh and Chicago. Both plays have at their center the character of a conflicted black male patriarch, whose struggle with his identity ends up destroying the dreams of their families. Troy Maxson, a former Negro league baseball player, spitefully keeps his son from pursuing a college football scholarship, passing his own frustrations down to the next generation. ( )

I read this quickly. I had seen the film version [edited] which was excellent, starring Mrs. Davis and Mr. Washington. Lots of uncovering of hidden personal traumas and new ways of coping amongst the various characters. Many good and charming stage effects are put into play here. The short Introduction by Lloyd Richards (Director of the Opening Night, New Haven production) emphasized Wilson's exposition of four generations of black Americans retold by Troy Maxson. ( )

Rose

A rich, tragic, restless play. An encasulation of the American Dream, as we see it for Jim Crow-era Black Americans. ( )