Clybourne Park
Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 9:33 pm
Today was one of my theater outings and the play was Clybourne Park
My tiny synopsis (no spoilers)
Clybourne Park is a neighborhood of good people.
In 1959, we meet a married couple (white) who are selling their house in Clybourne Park. There is a hysterically funny discussion of capital cities and then guests arrive... clergy and the representatives of the Neighborhood. We discover that the buyers are African American and the house is being sold cheap. What at first seems like a merely bickering husband and wife is shown to be more and their situation revolves around a dark and tragic incident.
In 2009, we meet a new couple (white) who are buying the house as part of Gentrification -- a fancy word. The neighborhood association wants the houses to retain their characteristics and this is a discussion with lawyer and real estate agent of what guidelines the new buyers can follow to preserve the authentic look and feel of the neighborhood. A rather wild and funny discussion ensues. But in the end this house has known tragedy and there is an epilogue to tell the audience who truly lives in this house in Clybourne Park.
The same actors play the 1959 characters and then switch around roles for the 2009 characters. The two sets of characters are related in our minds and also internally in the play. That's important to the plot to see how the roles change.
I really did enjoy this play. I recommend it. It has won both a Pulitzer and a Tony and is worth the price of admission and the afternoon to see it.
My tiny synopsis (no spoilers)
Clybourne Park is a neighborhood of good people.
In 1959, we meet a married couple (white) who are selling their house in Clybourne Park. There is a hysterically funny discussion of capital cities and then guests arrive... clergy and the representatives of the Neighborhood. We discover that the buyers are African American and the house is being sold cheap. What at first seems like a merely bickering husband and wife is shown to be more and their situation revolves around a dark and tragic incident.
In 2009, we meet a new couple (white) who are buying the house as part of Gentrification -- a fancy word. The neighborhood association wants the houses to retain their characteristics and this is a discussion with lawyer and real estate agent of what guidelines the new buyers can follow to preserve the authentic look and feel of the neighborhood. A rather wild and funny discussion ensues. But in the end this house has known tragedy and there is an epilogue to tell the audience who truly lives in this house in Clybourne Park.
The same actors play the 1959 characters and then switch around roles for the 2009 characters. The two sets of characters are related in our minds and also internally in the play. That's important to the plot to see how the roles change.
I really did enjoy this play. I recommend it. It has won both a Pulitzer and a Tony and is worth the price of admission and the afternoon to see it.