Title: Wit
Author: Margaret Edson
First published January 1, 1995
85 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9780571198771 (ISBN10: 0571198775)
Rating: 4.14
Overview
Elizabeth Strout’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Olive Kitteridge, delves into the complexities of human existence with profound insight. Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher in Crosby, Maine, embodies the conflicting emotions that come with living in a changing world.
While she may be stern and impatient at times, she is also perceptive and compassionate. However, Olive often fails to see the changes in those around her, such as a lounge musician haunted by past love, a former student struggling to find a reason to live, her own adult child who feels confined by her mother’s expectations, and her husband, Henry, who grapples with the complexities of loyalty in marriage.
As the townspeople struggle with their problems, Olive is forced to confront her own life and come to a deeper understanding of herself with brutal honesty.
About the Author
Margaret Edson, born in 1961 in Washington, DC, has had an impressive career. After earning degrees in both history and literature, she dedicated herself to public school teaching in 1992.
Her play Wit, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1999, has been performed in numerous languages and locations around the world. The HBO adaptation of the play was also recognized with an Emmy Award for Best Film in 2001.
Today, Margaret lives with her family in Atlanta and teaches sixth-grade social studies at Inman Middle School.
Editoral Review
Wit by Margaret Edson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning play that was first published on January 1, 1995. Edson, a former kindergarten teacher, wrote the play to explore the meaning of life, death, and human connection in a darkly humorous and deeply emotional way.
Wit is a work of contemporary drama that touches on themes of mortality, illness, and the search for meaning in life. The play tells the story of Dr. Vivian Bearing, a professor of English literature who is diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer.
Through a series of flashbacks and introspections, the audience is taken through Vivian’s journey from diagnosis to the final stages of her illness. Wit is not just about Vivian’s physical journey but also about her intellectual and spiritual journey as she comes to terms with the reality of her condition.
Edson masterfully weaves together Vivian’s academic background with her path towards death, creating a complex and deeply moving character. Wit’s setting takes place within the confines of a hospital where the harsh realities of life and death are ever-present.
Edson also touches on many relevant cultural and social issues such as healthcare disparities and the ethics of medical research. Wit is a richly rewarding play, filled with powerful performances and moving themes that will stay with the audience long after it ends.
Edson’s writing is sharp, witty, and unflinching in its portrayal of illness and death. The play also benefits from excellent pacing and a seamless plot structure that keeps the audience engaged from beginning to end.
The main strength of Wit, however, are the characters that Edson has crafted. In particular, Vivian is a fully realized character that is given room to be both brilliant and flawed – making her feel fully human to the audience.
The play is not just about Vivian’s journey but also about the relationships she builds along the way, and how those connections can have a profound impact on both the person who is dying and those who are left behind. The only weakness in Wit is that at times, the play’s focus on academia can feel overwhelming.
However, this should not dissuade anyone from seeing or reading it. Overall, the play is a phenomenal exploration of the human experience and its many complexities – from love and companionship to pain and suffering.
It’s a work of great potency, one that we highly recommend. Wit is a play that should be experienced by anyone who is looking to explore the deeper questions of life, death, and human connection.
It’s a work that is both profoundly moving and emotionally satisfying. The play is also an excellent reminder of the value of good storytelling and the power of theatre to convey important messages that are relevant to contemporary society.
We give Wit a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5, and highly recommend it to anyone who has the chance to see or read it.
