With a revival of her Pulitzer-winning play Topdog/Underdog on Broadway, and her new show about COVID off-Broadway, the acclaimed playwright is still learning new things about herself.
. Parks, a prolific playwright, is doing something new with this play — she's acting.dominating figures in American theater today. And when we first spoke earlier this year, she said she was just starting to think about her body of work over the past few decades in order to come up with an overarching philosophy.
This is a flood of new work that's coming from someone already known for being prolific. The child of an army officer and a college professor, Parks was pushed toward writing plays in 1982 by James Baldwin, who was a visiting professor at her college. Since then, she's been writing plays, screenplays, novels and, of course, more plays.
In one scene, the character of The Writer, played by Parks, and Hubby, her husband, are both sick with COVID. They both share symptoms – nausea, burning eyes, hot skin – until Hubby reveals that he can't breathe lying down. And so he sits up at night at the kitchen table, and The Writer gives him a yoga block to rest his head on. It's a small bit of kindness – all, really, that The Writer has to give at the moment.Quickly, death and grief become a major concern of the show.
It's important to note that the two brothers are Black, so the Lincoln impersonator spends much of the play in whiteface. It's a move that forces the audience to ask what Parks is saying about race with this play. Which is a fine question to ask – Parks just hopes you don't stop there.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
For playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, theater doesn't just reflect reality – it creates itWith a revival of her Pulitzer-winning play Topdog/Underdog on Broadway, and her new show about COVID off-Broadway, acclaimed playwright Suzan-Lori Parks is still learning new things about herself.
Read more »
Review: Different Stages Theatre's Water by the SpoonfulTHEATRE REVIEW: A teaspoon of gravitas, tablespoon of heart is the perfect recipe for this Pulitzer winner.
Read more »
The Museum of Broadway reveals the show behind the showAfter years of work, The Museum of Broadway has finally opened in New York City. It traces the history of theater in the city, from minstrelsy and vaudeville up to the present day, with plenty of artifacts.
Read more »
85-year-old hospitalized after crash on broadwayOn November 25, 2022, around 7 p.m. a two-vehicle crash near East Broadway Blouvaud and Pantano Road shut down west of Pantano.
Read more »
Agatha Christie's ‘The Mousetrap,' Longest-Running Play, Coming to Broadway Next YearA beloved staple of the West End is headed to the Big Apple next year. “The Mousetrap,” from acclaimed mystery writer Agatha Christie, is headed to Broadway in 2023. The play’s producers announced plans to bring the longstanding production to New York City audiences in the new year. The classic “whodunnit,” which has gone on to inspire countless works, is…
Read more »
‘KPOP’: New Musical Brings High-energy World of K-pop to BroadwayWith an almost entirely Asian American and Asian cast, the production opens Sunday at the Circle in the Square Theatre.
Read more »