Lanford Wilson Criticism
Lanford Wilson, a pivotal figure in American theater, is renowned for his innovative blend of experimental and traditional forms. Emerging from the 1960s Off-Off-Broadway scene at Caffe Cino, Wilson developed a distinctive style of lyrical realism, characterized by poetic dialogue and strong characterizations. His plays often dismantle conventional theatrical norms, utilizing techniques like monologues and overlapping dialogue to break the "fourth wall," while maintaining coherent plots and thematic unity, as explored in Images of the Past in the Plays of Lanford Wilson. His preference for realistic dialogue is matched by his experimental narrative approaches, as detailed in Recreating the Magic: An Interview with Lanford Wilson.
Thematically, Wilson's work often centers on characters facing personal and societal challenges. His plays like The Madness of Lady Bright and Balm in Gilead provide a lens into the lives of marginalized individuals such as an aging transvestite and New York's junkies and hustlers. His renowned Talley trilogy, including Fifth of July, Talley's Folly, and A Tale Told, delves into familial and generational dilemmas set against the backdrop of Missouri, as highlighted in Images of America: Wilson, Weller and Horovitz. Wilson's ability to portray the intricacies of alienation, family conflict, and identity is further examined by Leslie Kane, who compares his characters' solitude to those in the works of Chekhov and Williams.
His Pulitzer Prize-winning Talley's Folly exemplifies his skill in crafting emotionally resonant narratives. Critics like John Simon and Harold Clurman praise its playful yet poignant depiction of love. Despite some critiques of sentimentality from voices like Stanley Kauffmann, Wilson's work remains integral to the American theater landscape. Plays like The Mound Builders and The 5th of July have sparked discussion over their character development and thematic depth, with Catharine Hughes and Richard Eder offering diverse perspectives on these works.
Wilson's impact is further solidified by his role as co-founder of the Circle Repertory Company, where he served as playwright-in-residence until 1996. His plays continue to be revived, underscoring his enduring appeal. Even as some later works received a cooler reception, as discussed in The Comic Vision of Lanford Wilson, they remain valued for vivid characterizations and social commentary. Wilson's oeuvre reflects a compassionate understanding of marginalized lives and a commitment to authentic storytelling, continuing to be a vital part of theatrical study and production.
Contents
- Principal Works
- Wilson, Lanford (Vol. 7)
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Wilson, Lanford (Vol. 197)
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Stanley Kauffmann on Theater
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Kauffmann provides a somewhat unfavorable assessment of Lemon Sky, contending that it “accomplishes little.”
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Interview with Lanford Wilson
(summary)
In the following interview, Lanford Wilson and Esther Harriott discuss Wilson's commitment to creating multi-dimensional characters, his experiences in repertory theatre, the interplay of personal experience and character development in his work, and his sentiments on the diverse themes explored in his plays, such as identity and compassion for outsiders.
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The Agony of Isolation in the Drama of Anton Chekhov and Lanford Wilson
(summary)
In the following essay, Kane compares Wilson to Anton Chekhov in terms of their preference for realism in their works and their characterizations of solitude.
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Lanford Wilson
(summary)
In the following interview, Wilson and Savran explore Wilson's journey as a playwright, emphasizing his early influences, the Off-Off Broadway movement, and his development of a lyrical realism style marked by strong characterization, dialogue, and innovative narrative techniques, which ultimately led to his commercial success and enduring impact on American theater.
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Lanford Wilson
(summary)
In the following essay, Busby discusses Wilson's Midwestern roots as inspiration for his plays.
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The Decline of the American Musical Comedy
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Hornby discusses Burn This and compares Wilson with other contemporary playwrights. Lanford Wilson's Burn This concerns three young people—two dancers and a copywriter—who share a Soho loft. The male dancer, a homosexual, has just died in a boating accident, and it becomes clear, in their grief, that the two remaining roommates were in love with him. The female dancer has a boyfriend, a successful screenwriter, whom she likes but does not really love; when the dead roommate's brother arrives, a bizarre, drunk, long-haired, foul-mouthed individual, she falls into a passionate affair with him, despite their obvious differences in temperament and basic dislike for each other. In the end, the woman's remaining roommate (the advertising writer) has moved out, leaving a scornful note ending with the words, “Burn this”; her ex-boyfriend has gone to Hollywood; her new lover has lost his job as maitre d'hôtel in a New Jersey restaurant and separated from his wife and family; and the two mismatched sweethearts are left alone with each other in dismay and despair.
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The Western Holdup Play: The Pilgrimage Continues
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Erben characterizes Wilson's Angels Fall as a comment on the modern American West.
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When ‘The Center Cannot Hold’ or the Problem of Mediation in Lanford Wilson's The Mound Builders
(summary)
In the following essay, Callens cites Wilson's The Mound Builders as an “existentialist inspired portrait of contemporary life.”
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Pale and Interesting
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Edwards provides a favorable assessment of Burn This, specifically hailing the performance of John Malkovich as Pale.
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An Interview with Lanford Wilson
(summary)
In the following interview, Wilson and Tibbetts explore Wilson's reflections on his writing journey, his foundational role in the Circle Repertory Company, and his approach to play development, emphasizing the importance of staged readings and a collaborative theater community in shaping his and others' dramatic works.
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Lanford Wilson
(summary)
In the following interview, Wilson and Bryer explore the nuances of playwriting, including the challenges of Broadway production, the benefits of nonprofit theatre networks as developmental spaces, and the importance of audience feedback in shaping a play's structure and theme.
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Talley's Folly: The ‘Virtually Perfect’ Play
(summary)
In the following essay, Williams explores the origin and development of the second and third Talley plays: Talley's Folly and A Tale Told (revised as Talley & Son.)
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Balm in Gilead and Burn This
(summary)
In the following essay, Dean asserts that Balm in Gilead displays Wilson's talent for poetic dialogue and that Burn This is one of his most important works.
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Charlotte's Daughters: Changing Gender Roles and Family Structures in Lanford Wilson
(summary)
In the following essay, Martine investigates the evolving role of women in Wilson's plays.
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Review of Fifth of July
(summary)
In the following review, Isherwood finds Fifth of July timeless. Written first, Fifth of July is chronologically the last in Wilson's trilogy of major plays about Missouri's Talley family. The first act takes place on the evening of Independence Day in 1977, the second the morning after.
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Review of Burn This
(summary)
In the following review of Burn This, Montez explores the theme of intimacy and its relevance in a New York City setting, post-September 11, 2001.
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Stanley Kauffmann on Theater
(summary)
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Wilson, Lanford (Vol. 14)
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New York
(summary)
In the following essay, Catharine Hughes critiques Lanford Wilson's The Mound Builders for its lack of engaging character development and compelling metaphorical depth, contrasting it with the more effective The Hot L Baltimore and suggesting that Wilson's play fails to offer significant insights into human nature or history.
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Theater: '5th of July' Is Staged
(summary)
In the following essay, Richard Eder critiques Lanford Wilson's play "The Fifth of July" for its inability to convey a coherent message about the transformation of the 1960s ideals in the 1970s, citing the play's reliance on whimsical yet insubstantial characters and symbolic excesses that obscure its intended commentary on societal change.
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The Theatre: 'The 5th of July'
(summary)
In the following essay, Edith Oliver critiques Lanford Wilson's play "The 5th of July" as his most ambitious yet overly verbose work, noting its reliance on monologues, intermittent believability of characters, and underlying themes of sexual tension amidst a backdrop of 1960s nostalgia.
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Likable but Unlikely Transplant
(summary)
In the following essay, John Simon critiques Lanford Wilson's The 5th of July for being a derivative and anachronistic imitation of Chekhov's works, arguing that despite witty dialogue, it lacks substantial dramatic development and a compelling context, rendering it ultimately unsatisfying.
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Home Rule
(summary)
In the following essay, Munk criticizes Lanford Wilson's The 5th of July for its reliance on clichéd elements and a superficial happy ending, while acknowledging its moments of humor and the normalized depiction of gay relationships.
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At the Boathouse
(summary)
In the following essay, Edith Oliver evaluates Lanford Wilson's "Talley's Folly" as a skillfully crafted play that, despite its brief runtime and limited content, successfully captures and maintains the audience's attention through a playful mood with a serious undertone, depicting a poignant romantic journey between its two main characters.
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Sentimental Journey
(summary)
In the following essay, Julius Novick critiques Lanford Wilson's Talley's Folly for its predictable plot and resurgence of sentimentality, while acknowledging the authenticity and charm present in the character of Matt and the play's capacity to evoke touching moments.
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Folie a deux
(summary)
In the following essay, John Simon argues that Lanford Wilson's Talley's Folly masterfully combines psychological depth and dramatic prowess through its dialogue, capturing the nuanced journey of love between two characters while reflecting on life's absurdity and miracle, ultimately revealing profound truths despite its seemingly minor scope.
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Theater: 'Talley's Folly'
(summary)
In the following essay, Harold Clurman argues that Lanford Wilson's Talley's Folly captivates its audience with humor and tender yet objective writing, celebrating idiosyncratic characters while skillfully avoiding overt sentimentality.
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Stages of Discussion
(summary)
In the following essay, Stanley Kauffmann critiques Lanford Wilson's Talley's Folly as an unoriginal and derivative work that employs clichéd theatrical devices reminiscent of Tennessee Williams, resulting in a play that fails to evoke genuine emotion or character depth despite its popularity among critics.
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New York
(summary)
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Wilson, Lanford
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Criticism: General Commentary
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Images of the Past in the Plays of Lanford Wilson
(summary)
In the following essay, Schvey examines the thematic unity in Wilson's plays from The Hot l Baltimore through Talley's Folley.
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The Comic Vision of Lanford Wilson
(summary)
In the following essay, Jacobi traces the evolution of a comic vision throughout Wilson's career, arguing that with comedy Wilson harmonizes his often-conflicted interests in the past and social misfits.
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Tennessee Williams and Lanford Wilson at the Missouri Crossroads
(summary)
In the following essay, Konas compares the Missouri backgrounds of Wilson and Tennessee Williams and contrasts their uses of a Missouri setting in their major works.
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Lanford Wilson's Classroom
(summary)
In the following essay, Peterson explicates the pedagogical dimension of Wilson's life and plays.
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The Artist in the Garden: Theatre Space and Place in Lanford Wilson
(summary)
In the following essay, Adler surveys Wilson's full-length dramas, analyzing the visual—but not rhetorical—absence of definite places on the stage sets of a dozen plays.
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Images of the Past in the Plays of Lanford Wilson
(summary)
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Criticism: Fifth Of July
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Images of America: Wilson, Weller and Horovitz
(summary)
In the following essay, Witham considers Fifth of July, Michael Weller's Loose Ends, and Israel Horovitz's Alfred Dies with respect to their treatments of Independence Day to dramatize the American temperament of the mid-1970s.
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Some Kind of a Future: The War for Inheritance in the Work of Three American Playwrights of the 1970s
(summary)
In the following essay, Schlatter compares Fifth of July, Preston Jones's The Oldest Living Graduate, and Sam Shepard's Curse of the Starving Class and Buried Child with respect to the cultural implications of the 1970s family presented by the plays.
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Images of America: Wilson, Weller and Horovitz
(summary)
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A Running Log on Lanford Wilson
(summary)
In the following essay, Tucker details the circumstances leading up to and including an interview with Wilson around the time he staged the premiere of Redwood Curtain.
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Criticism: Book Of Days
(summary)
In the following essay, Jones presents commentary from Wilson and his colleagues focusing on his writing, specifically Book of Days.
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Criticism: General Commentary
- Further Reading