From Library Journal
There has been a resurgence of interest in Obie-winning, avant-garde playwright Kennedy ( Funnyhouse of a Negro , 1964; The Owl Answers , 1965). Recent publications include the autobiographical People Who Led to My Plays (Knopf, 1987), an edition of her plays ( Adrienne Kennedy in One Act , Univ. of Minnesota Pr., 1988), and a novel, Deadly Triplets ( LJ 5/1/90). This long-overdue attention is likely to increase with the publication of The Alexander Plays and Intersecting Boundaries , the first full-length critical collection of her work. The Alexander Plays consists of four pieces that are, like all of Kennedy's works, complex, intense, and experimental. They revolve loosely around a writer named Suzanne Alexander. In She Talks to Beethoven (previously published in Antaeus in 1991), Alexander has a discussion with Beethoven. In The Ohio State Murders , when asked why her works are so violent, Alexander tells a chilling story about the murder of one of her twin daughters. The Film Club (a monolog) and The Dramatic Circle (a radio play) concern Suzanne's anxiety while awaiting the release of her husband, who has been imprisoned in Ghana. Village Voice writer Alisa Solomon provides a perceptive foreword to the plays. Bryant-Jackson and Overbeck's fine collection will help in appreciating Kennedy's work. The volume is divided into four sections. The first, largely biographical, includes an interview with the playwright. The second discusses Kennedy's work in light of such traditions as transcendentalism, German Expressionism, and African American women's literature. The third, on critical interpretations, is likely the most significant section. Articles by Kimberly Benston on the importance of race in Kennedy's plays are especially illuminating. The final section is a series of interviews with people involved in the production of Kennedy's plays. The book includes good primary and secondary bibliographies. These two volumes will help secure Kennedy's rightful place as a major figure in American literature. Essential for all libraries interested in contemporary drama.
- Louis J. Parascandola, Long Island Univ., Brooklyn Campus, New York.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Louis J. Parascandola, Long Island Univ., Brooklyn Campus, New York.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
