Detroit
by Lisa D'amour

Name: Detroit
Brand: Lisa D'amour
SKU: 9780822229186
Rating: 3.5 (602 reviews)

Highlights

Small Cast

Female

Male

120 minsUnit Set/Multiple SettingsAmerican Comedy

Awards & Recognition

Pulitzer Prize

Finalist: 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama

What readers are saying

Readers appreciate the dark humor and contemporary themes of the play, highlighting its exploration of life in post-recession America. While some find the characters engaging and the dialogue sharp, others feel the play lacks depth and fails to fully confront significant societal issues. Overall, it elicits mixed feelings, with many loving its wit and others questioning its substance.

Darkly humorous and thought-provokingEngaging characters and dialogueInsightful commentary on societyLacks depth in addressing issuesSome characters feel uninteresting

Synopsis

In a first-ring suburb just outside a city that might be Detroit, Ben and Mary see sudden signs of life at the deserted house next door and invite their new neighbors Sharon and Kenny over for a barbecue.

As the action unfolds we learn that Sharon and Kenny met at rehab, neither is employed, and they don't own a stick of furniture.

The quintessential American back-yard party turns quickly turns into something more dangerous-and filled with potential

Press Reviews

"Sly, timely and neatly surprising…very much an of-the-moment American play…D'Amour perfectly captures a certain pervasive lifestyle of today: atomized, mediated, ersatz and culturally leveled…cascading, hilarious monologues and minutely calibrated chitchat.“ —Time Out New York. ”A sharp X-ray of the embattled American psyche as well as a smart, tart critique of the country’s fraying social fabric, Ms. D'Amour’s dark comedy is as rich and addictively satisfying as a five-layer dip served up with a brimming bowl of tortilla chips.“ —The New York Times. ”Totally nails the great, deep malaise of middle-class suburbia, with a sustained energy and a wicked eye for telling details…funny as hell.“ —New York Post. ”A tense, terrific, funny new play.“ —New York Observer. ”Savvy, frequently poetic, and ultimately bittersweet…"
— TheaterMania