Lanford Wilson, Vol. 1: Collected Plays, 1965-1970 (Contemporary American Playwrights)
Noted playwrite Wilson (Collected Plays. Vol. 1: 21 Short Plays, LJ 1/94), a native son of the Ozark town of Lebanon, Missouri, has much to say about American places?from Midwest ghost towns, to Southern California, to New York's Greenwich Village?and the people who inhabit them. We meet pimps and prostitutes (male and female), dysfunctional families, an interracial couple in the process of breaking up, and others living on the fringes of society. Many of the situations and events are autobiographical, as Wilson speaks to us about America and its dying dreams of freedom, equality, and prosperity for all. All five of these plays?Balm in Gilead, Rimers of Eldritch, The Gingham Dog, Lemon Sky, and The Sand Castle?have been presented off Broadway to critical acclaim. This thought-provoking collection belongs in every high school, academic, and public library with a modern drama collection. Highly recommended.?Howard E. Miller, formerly with Alliance Blue Cross & Blue Shield Lib., St. LouisCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.