Verlag:
Methuen Drama, London
;
Bloomsbury Publishing, New York
"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....
mehr
"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.
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Intro -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Chapter 1 Becoming August Wilson -- Frederick Kittel -- August Wilson -- Playwright August Wilson -- Playwright August Wilson's one story -- Chapter 2 History...
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Intro -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Chapter 1 Becoming August Wilson -- Frederick Kittel -- August Wilson -- Playwright August Wilson -- Playwright August Wilson's one story -- Chapter 2 History and/as Performance: The Drama of African American Historiography -- History, passing, and fences -- History, time, and performance -- History and historiography -- History and the whiteness of public space -- Blues historiography -- History, possession, and repossession -- Chapter 3 Cutting the Historical Record, Recording the Blues: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom -- Production history -- Cut one: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom -- Call it a wrap -- The paradigmatic band -- For the record -- Changing the notes -- Changing the tempo -- Learning the blues -- Chapter 4 Beginning Again, Again: Gem of the Ocean and Jitney -- Jitney -- Performance history -- Arrangement -- Gem of the Ocean -- Performance history -- Arrangement -- Looking for a start -- It starts with capitalism -- The rule of law versus the law of rules and the role of the street -- Chapter 5 The Boundaries of Property and the Properties of Humanity: Fences and Joe Turner's Come and Gone -- Fences -- Production history -- Arrangement -- Joe Turner's Come and Gone -- Production history -- Arrangement -- Property rights and property lines -- The metaphoric Mason-Dixon line -- The walking blues -- Reclaiming their songs -- Chapter 6 The Properties of the Piano and the Legacy of Human Property: The Piano Lesson -- Production history -- Arrangement -- The piano's properties -- The piano as possessed -- Exorcising the confusion -- Preparing for the response -- Chapter 7 Urban Renewal by Any Means Necessary: Two Trains Running -- Porduction history -- Arrangement -- Two trains of religious thought -- Time, death, faith, and (urban) renewal -- Logics The warrior faith -- Chapter 8 "Sad Stories of the Death of Kings": Seven Guitars and King Hedley II1 -- Seven Guitars -- Production history -- Arrangement -- King Hedley II -- Production history -- Arrangement -- The legacy of a king -- The tragedy of a king -- How can you call me King? -- Chapter 9 The Century That Can't Fix Nothing with the Law: Radio Golf -- Production history -- Arrangement -- Conclusion and renewal -- Race and/as class -- The lessons of Wilson's American Century -- The place of African Americans in America -- The place of history in Wilson's century -- Chapter 10 Critical and Performance Perspectives -- Seven Guitars and King Hedley II: August Wilson's Lazarus Complex -- Performance Politics and Authencity: Joe Turner's and Gone Jitney -- Introduction -- Obama comes to the theatre -- Joe Turner, race, and culture -- Sher and the critics -- The politics of representation -- Jitney in the times of Trump -- Jitney and the critics -- Ruben Santiago-Hudson and the real -- Santiago-Hudson and cultural affinity -- David Gallo's set -- Wilson and personal history -- By way of conclusion -- Notes -- Introduction -- Chapter 1 -- Chapter 2 -- Chapter 3 -- Chapter 4 -- Chapter 5 -- Chapter 6 -- Chapter 7 -- Chapter 8 -- Chapter 9 -- Chapter 10 -- References -- Notes on Contributors -- Index
