Product Description

The Darker Face of the Earth, the first full-length play by Pulitzer Prize winner Rita Dove, is an Oedipal tragedy of interracial love set on a plantation in pre-Civil War South Carolina. The play has been read on Broadway, and has had full-stage productions at The Kennedy Center, The National Theatre in London, The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, among others.

Rita Dove is the author of numerous books of poetry, including the 1987 Pulitzer Prize winning collection, Thomas and Beulah. She has served as the Poet Laureate of the United States, and has been awarded both Guggenheim and NEA fellowships, as well as been the recipient of many of our nation's most prestigious literary awards. Rita Dove lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1105748 in Books
• Published on: 2000-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 182 pages

Customer Reviews

A review of the play that also recommends the book
Rita Dove's poetry won her a Pulitzer in her mid-thirties; she went on to became the youngest (and first African-American) Poet Laureate of the United States. It should not be surprising, then, that her first venture into playwriting has produced an enormously powerful and beautiful work. The themes are intricate, the main characters full-bodied and the language -- oh, the language -- nothing short of stunning. What is surprising is that, with all of the above and with a premise that could easily lend itself to parodic or pretentious treatment, she has produced a play that imitates nothing, never takes itself too seriously and expresses itself (dare I say despite its monumental lyricism?) with clarity. Above is from Les Gutman's monthly report from DC where the play is currently running in Washington. And here, for Amazon.com customers, his final paragraph: While most plays are probably better seen than read, I'm inclined to think this one may be a good one to enjoy on the page as well. The poetry is too good to experience only in passing. I am ordering an inexpensive copy of it. To read his whole review and check out the many other features at CurtainUp, the New York City based Internet magazine of theater reviews and related features.

The Darker Face of the Earth
The Darker Face of the Earth is a wonderful book. It keeps the reader on the edge of his seat. The play is based on the well know Greek story of Oedipus, so it makes the story easier to follow for the reader. Even though you know what will happen in the end of the story it is still surprisingly suspenseful. There are many more actions in this play that lead up to the conclusion than in Oedipus, which adds to the enjoyment of reading this book. The Darker Face of the Earth is an excellent mix of the tangles of a mother and son caught in their sins, and the hardships of slavery. The play is a quick read and I recommend it to anyone who has a free hour or two, because once you start reading this book you will not be able to put it down.