Lanford Wilson: The Early Plays, 1965-1970

I was supposed to be in the original OB cast of The Rimers of Eldritch back in 1964. Unfortunately I couldn't "get" the play and Lance Wilson fired me about two weeks before the opening at Cafe La Mama. He was right--I stank. Later I came to the play as a reader and simply wish there were do-overs. It's a wonder of dramaturgy and character, as complex as a piece of chamber music and every bit as fulfilling. Lanford, you done good.

I teach playwriting. Not long ago, I had a roomful of students watching the splendid video version of his LEMON SKY. They were wiped out. I was stunned that they hadn't encountered the play before. For more than thirty years, Lanford Wilson has been quietly building a catalogue of writing that has few equals in the American theatre. From early work such as LEMON SKY, BALM IN GILEAD, HOT L BALTIMORE and FIFTH OF JULY to the recent SYMPATHETIC MAGIC, he has maintained an extraordinary record of charting the subtext of America. I can't think of another American writer who has reflected more of this country's voices and concerns. This book is a swell introduction to him.