The America Play and other works
Suzan-lori Parks
Topdog/underdog
by Suzan-lori Parks
Awards & Recognition
Drama League AwardOuter Critics CirclePulitzer PrizeTony Award
Winner! 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Drama Winner! 2023 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play Winner! 2023 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Revival of a Play Nominee: Three 2023 Drama League Awards, including Outstanding Revival of a Play
What readers are saying
Readers are divided on the effectiveness of the play, with many praising its depth, character complexity, and engaging themes. Some find it challenging as a read, suggesting it might be better appreciated when performed live. While strong praise highlights its gripping narrative and rich dialogue, a few express disappointment in its execution and lack of a traditional plot structure.
Deep and complex charactersGripping and original storyRich dialogue and themesChallenge to read without performanceNot everyone's style
Synopsis
Winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
A darkly comic fable of brotherly love and family identity is Suzan-Lori Parks latest riff on the way we are defined by history.
The play tells the story of Lincoln and Booth, two brothers whose names were given to them as a joke, foretelling a lifetime of sibling rivalry and resentment.
Haunted by the past, the brothers are forced to confront the shattering reality of their future.
Suzan-Lori Parks is the author of numerous plays, including In the Blood and Venus.
She is currently head of the A.S.K.
Theater Projects Writing for Performance Program at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia.
Press Reviews
"[A] vibrant comic drama of shifting identity and betrayal… from the ferociously talented author of In the Blood and The America Play."
— The New York Times
"The issues are gripping, the characters are dynamite… a must-see play."
— Backstage
Characters
| Character |
|---|
Booth AKA 3-Card, the underdog |
Lincoln The topdog |
Videos
Topdog/Underdog Monologue – South Coast Repertory Theatre
Publication
PublisherTheatre Communications
Year2001
BindingPaperback
Edition1st
Pages110
PlaceNew York
LanguageEnglish
ISBN-139781559362016
ISBN-101559362014
eISBN-139781559366243
LCCN2001027316
LCCPS3566.A736 T66 2001
DCC812/.54
Topdog/underdog is a American play written by Suzan-lori Parks and published by Theatre Communications in New York (2001).
Digital editions available on Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, Google Play (eISBN 9781559366243).
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1st
Theatre Communications · 2001 · 110 pp
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