Fifth of July [Paperback]

Lanford Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1979

Ken Talley, a Vietnam vet who lost his legs in combat, lives in a farmhouse in rural Missouri with his lover, Jed. Traumatized and bitter, Ken struggles to find meaning in his life. As he contemplates selling the farmhouse, old friends and family members descend for a vacation. A bittersweet portrait of the rock n roll generation at the precise moment they realize the fireworks ended yesterday.

A L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring: J.D. Cullom, Michael Gladis, Lola Glaudini, Sarah Hagan, Marin Hinkle, Jay Paulson, Matt Roth and Claudette Southerland.

--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lanford Wilson is the author of the full length plays BALM IN GILEAD. THE RIMERS OF VELDRITCH (Vernon Rice Award), THE GINGHAM DOG, LEMON SKY, SERENADING LOUIE, THE HOT BALTIMORE (New York Drama Critics Circle Award; Best American Play, Obie Award), ANGELS FALL (Tony nomination) and many more. He has been inducted into the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame and the American Theatre Hall of Fame. Wilson is a founder (with Tanya Berezin, Rob Thirkield, and Marshall W. Mason) of the Circle Repertory Company in New York City and was a resident playwright there from 1969-1995. About L.A. Theatre Works: L.A. Theatre Works, founded in 1974, produces the world's finest audio theatre. Our catalogue features the largest collection of classic and contemporary plays, recorded in state-of-the-art sound quality, starring today's most popular and acclaimed actors. Your selection is packed in durable vinyl cases with colorful, attractive covers. These handsome editions are perfect for personal collections, schools and libraries. Our catalogue features many award-winning plays, musicals, docudramas and novels that let your imagination soar! --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

From AudioFile

Without scenery and the physical expressions of the actors, the time-specific setting of this play prevents an easy transition from staged performance to recording. Without the props and set to support the tone, the characters do not fully develop. Wilson's characters are hard to like, making the character of Gwen excessively shrill when there is nothing but her voice to express her motivations. Area microphones on the stage rather than body microphones on the actors create an uneven volume. Lines delivered off-stage are excessively muted. The recording's lack of separate tracks is a disadvantage in returning to specific points in the play. R.F. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Hill and Wang (February 1, 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374521700
• ISBN-13: 978-0374521707
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,948,247 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth Reading, August 9, 2009

By 

C. Keller "CAKeller" (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 5th of July (Hardcover)

While I am not typically a play reader, I do love to go to the theatre. Growing up, my father exposed my brother and me to a wide variety of plays, from musicals to dramas, one-acts to Shakespeare and Wilde, Miller and Williams, but I have a hard time reading them. Maybe it's the lack of description, although I would hate to think I disliked something because it actually forces me to think for myself, to create the set and the costumes, the props. With novels and short stories, even biographies, the backgrounds are usually detailed so completely, the visions pop into my head without a second thought. That said, 5th of July by Lanford Wilson, allows an easy interpretation for the reader. I didn't expect to be able to get through it so quickly. I feared that I would be bogged sown by the dialogue, but instead was happily surprised, discovering a relatively easy read, both harmonious and moving in scope.

Set in a farmhouse in Missouri, the play depicts a scant cast of characters, each of whom holds his or her lost dreams, misconceived notions about the world and buried resentments. The unlikely mix of characters includes the following: a handicapped, gay Vietnam veteran; his gardening-obsessed lover; his elderly aunt (and her dead husband's ashes); an eccentric husband and wife; a musician. A simple plot allows Wilson to develop each of these characters fully, engrossing the reader in their twisted world.

While I would still rather see a play than read one, I'll now blame that on the atmosphere at the theatre, the buzz in the air, the majesty of the sets and the costumes, the sometimes brilliance of the actors. I won't shy away from reading plays any longer; I'll read others by Wilson, I'll be fascinated by Wilde (I'm positive), and I'll even give Shakespeare another shot.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cool title!, August 3, 2007

By 

a-to-b books "a-to-b books" (Hollywood) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fifth of July: a Play in Two Acts (Paperback)

First Edition, with Original Broadway cast of William Hurt, Nancy Snyder and Jeff Daniels! Also includes slightly later case, starring Christopher Reeve. In the usual playbook format, with bright red covers, of course.