Wit
by Margaret Edson

Name: Wit
Brand: Margaret Edson
SKU: 9780822217046
Rating: 4.23 (264 reviews)

BroadwayOff-Broadway

Highlights

Female

Male

105 minsPresent DayFlexible Cast SizeStrong Role for Leading Woman (Star Vehicle)Role(s) for Senior Actor(s)Unit Set/Multiple SettingsContemporary Costumes/Street Clothes

Awards & Recognition

Drama Critics CirclePulitzer PrizeTony Award

Winner! 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Drama Winner! 1999 New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best New Play Nominee: Two 2012 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Play

What readers are saying

Readers find 'Wit' to be a powerful exploration of life, death, and the human experience, particularly through the lens of its protagonist, Vivian Bearing. Many appreciate its blend of humor and tragedy, as well as its insightful critique of the medical system. The writing is frequently praised for its eloquence and emotional depth, leaving a lasting impact on those who read it.

Profound exploration of life and deathBeautifully written and movingStrong character developmentHumor blended with tragedySome felt disconnected from the characters

Synopsis

Wit is a striking and sharply funny reflection on the frailty of existence and the complex relationship between knowledge and love.

Vivian Bearing, a celebrated but exacting professor of metaphysical poetry, has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.

It seems her life is nearing its final chapter.

As she submits herself to an experimental treatment, Vivian approaches her illness with the same uncompromising rigor she brings to bear on the sonnets of John Donne.

Through it all she comes to reassess her life and her work with profundity and a moving wry humor.

Press Reviews

"[A] brutally human and beautifully layered new play… you feel both enlightened and, in a strange way, enormously comforted."
— The New York Times

"A dazzling and humane new play that you will remember till your dying day."
— New York Magazine

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
VIVIAN BEARING, PH.D	—	—	—
HARVEY KELEKIAN, M.D./MR. BEARING	male	—	—
JASON POSNER, M.D	—	—	—
SUSIE MONAHAN, R.N., B.S.N.	—	—	—
E. M. ASHFORD, D.PHIL	—	—	—
LAB TECHNICIANS /	—	—	/
CLINICAL FELLOWS /	—	—	/
STUDENTS /	—	—	/
CODE TEAM	—	—	—