The theatre of August Wilson / Alan Nadel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Nadel, Alan, 1947- author.

Series:

Critical companions.

Critical companions

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Wilson, August--Criticism and interpretation.

Wilson, August.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (233 pages).

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Methuen Drama, 2018.

Summary:

"The first comprehensive study of August Wilson's drama by noted Wilson scholar, Alan Nadel, this work introduces the major themes and motifs that unite Wilson's ten-play cycle about African American life in each decade of the twentieth century. Framed by Wilson's life experiences and informed by his extensive interviews, this book provides fresh, coherent, detailed readings of each play, well-situated in the extant scholarship. It also provides an overview of the cycle as a whole, demonstrating how it comprises a compelling interrogation of American culture and historiography. Keenly aware of the musical paradigms informing Wilson's dramatic technique, Nadel shows how jazz and, particularly, the blues provide the structural mechanisms that allow Wilson to examine alternative notions of time, property, and law. Wilson's improvisational logics become crucial to expressing his notions of black identity and resituating the relationship of literal to figurative in the African American community.The study is augmented by a small collection of essays by other major scholars: Harry Elam, Sandra Shannon, Donald Pease and Vershawn Young."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Contents:

Introduction

Becoming August Wilson

History and/as performance: the drama of African-American historiography

Cutting the historical record, recording the blues: Ma Rainey's black bottom

Beginning again, again: Gem of the ocean and Jitney

The boundaries of property and the properties of humanity: Fences and Joe Turner's Come and gone

The properties of the piano and the legacy of human property: The piano lesson

Urban renewal by any means necessary: Two trains running

"Sad stories of the death of kings": Seven guitars and King Hedley II

The century that can't fix nothing with the law: Radio golf

Critical and performance perspectives. Guitars and King Hedley II: August Wilson's Lazarus complex / Donald E. Pease

Performance politics and authenticity: Joe Turner's come and gone and Jitney / Harry J. Elam, Jr.

Notes:

Compliant with Level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Content is displayed as HTML full text which can easily be resized or read with assistive technology, with mark-up that allows screen readers and keyboard-only users to navigate easily.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [199]-214) and index.

ISBN:

1-4725-3160-4

1-4725-2764-X

OCLC:

1034988494