Ceremonies in Dark Old Men
by Lonne Elder III

"If any American has written a finer play, I can’t think what it is."

— The New Yorker

"As with the best of these observant mid-century dramas, A Raisin in the Sun and Death of a Salesman among them, Ceremonies has a bird’s-eye understanding of human behavior, grounded by the specificity of its setting… Elder’s play brims with poignant gestures at the Parkers’ world, capturing a Harlem in the midst of the promise of civil rights, and of those in its community caught in the crosshairs of honest work and easy exploitation. His characters feel real and their relationships insightful."

— The New York Times, 2025

"Exciting drama, filled with meaningful insight and original comedy."

— NBC-TV

"A remarkable play… reminded me irresistibly of O’Casey. Its mood, poised between comedy and tragedy, is identical, intensity of feeling and love of language are similar, and there is a common cause in its undercurrents of rebellion."

— The New York Times, 1969