Kopit, Arthur 1937–

American playwright, author of Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feeling So Sad and Indians.

Mr. Kopit's purpose [in Indians] is to accuse the American people of the crime of genocide—to say that at the end of the 19th century the United States Government deliberately extinguished, or virtually extinguished, the Indian race. I presume that it is also to Mr. Kopit's purpose to see various other political parallels more immediate to our own time.

Clive Barnes, in New York Times (© 1968 by The New York Times Company; reprinted by permission), July 9, 1968.

Clearly, the destruction of the Indians—and the resulting burden on the American conscience—is not the main or the only theme of [Arthur] Kopit's play, [Indians]. What Kopit also wanted to show was the self-righteousness of a nation convinced that its mission is to...

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