Blue Surge: A Play (Paperback)

~ Rebecca Gilman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Gilman's young playwriting career continues to strengthen and improve as she stretches beyond her familiar Spinning into Butter (LJ 7/00) and the shocking The Glory of Living (Faber & Faber, 2001) into a larger world. Gilman's previous plays have received numerous awards and accolades, and this work should be no different. At once a romance, a comedy, and a tragedy, Blue Surge offers a penetrating look at class struggle and at women's issues. This lean play of two acts and five actors moves quickly and leaves no winners in the reality of life. Curt is a small-town cop who tries to arrest Sandy, a prostitute. He fails in the arrest and then he fails in his attempts to help her and himself. One of the most poignant scenes occurs when Curt and his upper-class fianc e argue about the morality of arresting prostitutes. Beth is making fun of the family restaurant located next door to the massage parlor that Curt and his fellow policemen are trying to shut down. Curt argues that, just because the restaurant is not up to her high standards, the families that use it shouldn't have to be subjected to a massage parlor next door. Beth says, "Okay then. Places that put something besides iceberg lettuce in the salads." To which Curt responds, "I like iceberg lettuce." This great work by an upcoming playwright is recommended for public and academic libraries. J. Sara Paulk, Coastal Plain Regional Lib., Tifton, GA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Chicago-based Gilman emerged in the mid-90s with a tightly written thriller, The Glory of Living, about a fascinating pair of sociopaths who, a la Natural Born Killers, go on a murderous spree. In the years since, Gilman has wandered away from her initial noirish style to craft plays that, despite such serious themes as racism, stalking, and sexual harassment, retain a certain comic lightness. Blue Surge, which premiered at Chicago's Goodman Theater in July 2001, returns to the sleazy milieu of her first triumph but deals with it in the light manner of her Spinning into Butter and Boy Gets Girl. A pair of cops become emotionally enmeshed in the lives of a couple of massage therapists who hook on the side. Or are they hookers who do massage on the side? The play includes passages of astonishing dramatic power, and the first quarter of the play is particularly strong. Gilman's gift for believable dialogue remains, but a glib, TV-melodrama ending mars what might have been a much stronger play. Jack Helbig
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Faber & Faber; 1st edition (January 5, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0571211070
• ISBN-13: 978-0571211074
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #380,057 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gillman does it again, April 11, 2005

By	Nelson Diaz (Gurabo, PR) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was an amazing experience. I was happy to read Boy Gets Girl and The Glory of Living, and this one just reassured me that Gillman know her craft.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A lesser work from a modern master, June 20, 2006

By	C. Sanderson (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Rebecca Gilman is unquestionably one of the finest modern playwrights; SPINNING INTO BUTTER, BOY GETS GIRL, and THE GLORY OF LIVING are among my favorite plays. But BLUE SURGE, despite being generally well-written, is mostly forgetable. Like Gilman's other works, it tackles "big issues"--prostitution, poverty, class differences--but can't compare with her previous accomplishments. However, it's a worthy read, especially since it isn't likely to get too many staged productions.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Look elsewhere, May 20, 2003

By	J. Ott "John Ott" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This play had a short run at The Public Theater in New York last year, where I happened to catch it. While there are flashes of wit and emotion in the writing, backing up the many praises Gilman has received, the play as a whole fails to cohere. It's ostensibly about a cop who falls in love with a hooker, but the relationship never gets deeper than a lesson in botany. The exterior drama becomes more than a little kitchen-sink convenient, especially near the end.

I'll admit, I haven't read or seen any other Gilman plays. But from what I hear, you may be better off working your way through them (especially CHURNING INTO BUTTER) before reading this one.