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Five great plays of the 1950s are examined to see if their perspectives on perennial problems speak to us today, more than 50 years later. “Come Back, Little Sheba” is about abortion and alcoholism; “Death of a Salesman” is about the American Dream/nightmare; “Caine Mutiny Court Martial” presents a naval commander, insecure and mentally ill, breaking down during a typhoon; “Tea & Sympathy” gives the audience a prep school boy who is deemed homosexual because he has long hair and likes music—therefore he may be a communist; “A Streetcar Named Desire” also examines mental illness as personified by Blanche DuBois.
GROUP LEADER: Steve White majored in English at Brown and has an M.A. in English from Berkeley. He is a card-carrying member of “The Silent Generation” of the 1950’s. He also taught these plays at Bancroft School during “The Age of Aquarius.”
REQUIRED BOOK: New Voices in the American Theatre, edited by Brooks Atkinson. The Modern Library Random House, Inc. ISBN: 978-039460-2585.
Worcester Institute for Senior Education (WISE)Assumption University, 500 Salisbury Street, Worcester MA 01609 wise@assumption.edu 508-767-7513
