TOPDOG/UNDERDOG -- Suzan-Lori Parks

Theatre Communication Group -- tpb
New York -- 1999 -- 109pp
ISBN: 1-55936-201-4

The play tells the story of Lincoln and Booth, two brothers whose names were given to them as a joke, foretelling a lifetime of sibling rivalry and resentment. Haunted by the past, the brothers are forced to confront the shattering reality of their future. [from Amazon.com]


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Generally I've been surprisingly impressed with the Pulitzer Prize winning dramas. Often I find major award winning writing to be over-hype crap. The Pulizter's for drama that I have read have been pleasant gems. Until now.

This 2002 award winner, is the story of two African-American brothers (Lincoln and Booth), sorting out their lives. They hustle, steal, con, and try to work legitimate-but-low-paying jobs. Their past is nearly as amorphous as their future.

One of the ways in which I rate plays is by thinking on how much I would like to see it staged. As a play, it is meant to be seen, rather than read. This play, I have absolutely no desire to see. I can't imagine it being done somwhere and my thinking, "Oh, I'd like to see that." There is nothing about these characters or their situation that I can relate to, find appealing or even interesting, or desire to learn more about.

As a printed work, it's difficult to completely review this as something 'to be staged' and I can't help but review this as a written work. And here I have an even greater problem. As with so many big prize winning writers, this author has decided that she doesn't need to follow convention. "The" is "thuh" and "your" is "yr" and a contraction apostrophe...!?...forget it. And of course, why bother to write "(Pause.)" or "(Beat.)" as every other playwright is taught to do? Instead she lists the character's name, followed by no dialogue ... to suggest that they aren't saying anything.

I have decided that breaking convention/being unconventional is a sure way to get noticed by awards committees. Still, it would only bother me slightly if there was a story worth reading/seeing.

I am not familiar with either of the other two plays that were nominated for the Pulitzer in 2002, but I am much more curious now to compare them to the winner.