Essays on the plays and other worksoffers new perspectives to the growing body of scholarship about parkss artistic achievements. Tickets and details venus written by suzanlori parks. Suzanlori parks theatre credits, news, bio and photos. Director jesse mcleod paces the show tight with a lyrical tone. Suzanlori parks, possession the america play and other works 5 in 2002, contemporary playwright suzanlori parks won a pulitzer prize in drama for her play topdogunderdog 2001 and her popularity has been on the rise ever since. To find more books about venus suzan lori parks, you can use related keywords. Academic journal article comparative drama staging a new literary history. Suzanlori parkss venus revival comes to signature theater.
Venus dramatizes the dismal story of saartjie baartman popularly called venus hottentot, a south african girl of the. Apr 19, 2017 suzanlori parkss venus revival comes to signature theater. The possession of suzanlori parks by listening to the figures that take up residence inside me, the playwright resurrects a lost and dangerous historyand dares audiences to venture with her into its depths by shawnmarie garrett suzanlori parks began writing novels at the age of five. Signature theatre revives pulitzer prizewinning playwright suzanlori parks exploration of the life of saartjie baartman, aka the hottentot venus. Amyrose forbeserickson filmed by ksu independent films karlee szyperski. Project muse witnessing and wounding in suzanlori parks. Suzanlori parks has 22 books on goodreads with 17271 ratings. Suzanlori parks playwright topdogunderdog 2017 has been produced at the huntington. In the blood and the singular talent of suzanlori parks. In 1810, the venus hottentot as she is dubbeda young black woman with an enormous posterioris lured away from her menial job in south africa to tour the world and make lots of money. Suzanlori parks watch me work will take place on may 20 at.
Pulitzer prizewinning playwright suzanlori parks is running a free workshop that will be livestreamed online. Love, desire, and intimacy in suzanlori parkss venus lisa mendelman pulitzer prizewinning playwright suzanlori parkss venus 1990 presents versions of love that problematize its construct as a straightforward process of discovering a subjects stable, knowable interior. She was befriended, bought and bedded by a doctor who advanced his scientific career. Suzanlori parks is one of americas most distinctive playwrights. Essays and criticism on suzanlori parks, including the works imperceptible mutabilities in the third kingdom, venus, in the blood, topdogunderdog critical survey of drama.
Suzanlori parks is awarded the gish prize the new york times. Her performance is the best thing about director lear debessonets highly stylized, colorfully designed revival of this 1996 play by suzanlori parks. Saycon sengbloh in a revival of suzanlori parkss in the blood at the pershing square signature center. In her play, suzan lori parks portrays african american women facing the. Parks is the first african american woman to achieve this honor for drama. Charlayne woodard will play a contemporary hester in the world premiere of suzanlori parks modern take on nathaniel hawthornes the scarlet letter, in. In college at mount holyoke, she showed such promise.
Suzan lori parks is an american playwright, screenwriter, musician and novelist. Oct 14, 2015 suzan lori parks is the recipient of the 22nd dorothy and lillian gish prize, awarded annually to artists who have had an extraordinary impact in their disciplines. Oppression and emancipation of african american women in suzan. Part of the michigan major dramatists series, this book offers a guide to parks dramatic works. That young womansuzanlori parkshas since become renowned for her audacity, both on the page and in the world. Actress zainab jah of suzanlori parks venus discusses what it was like stepping into the role of saartjie baartman, and what she hopes. Suzan lori parks bio, photos, theatre credits, stage history. Mount holyoke alumna and pulitzer prizewinning playwright suzanlori parks 85 talks about success in the arts, which she says results from a combination of talent and hard work, and about the. Venus 1996 is a black play which was completed by suzanlori parks in 1995.
The audience is informed that thuh venus hottentot iz dead 3. Anatomists baron docteur better body bone bottoms bridetobe brother chocolate chorus clap continued counting course court cover dancing dark dead doctor dont dress drum england exhibit eyes face feather feel female. Suzan lori parks seems to have lost her damn mind with this play. She is the first african american woman to receive the pulitzer prize in drama for topdogunderdog in 2002, is a macarthur genius award recipient, was awarded the prestigious gish prize for excellence in. Monologues 1996, and lynn nottages ruined 2007 demonstrates how the. Parks is one of the most acclaimed playwrights in american drama today. Suzanlori parks is also the recipient of a macarthur genius award, a whiting writers award, a calartsalpert award in the arts, two obie awards, and a eugene mcdermott award in. Suzanlori parks is awarded the gish prize the new york.
Suzanlori parkss venus, in the blood, and fucking a carol schafer the early plays of suzanlori parks often are referred to as the history plays in which the playwright reconstructs historical events to fill a lack or hole in history caused by the exclusion of any africanamerican. Free workshop with playwright suzan loriparks to be live. Suzan lori parks is one of americas most distinctive playwrights. She is the first african american woman to receive the pulitzer prize in drama for topdogunderdog in 2002, is a macarthur genius award recipient, was awarded the prestigious gish prize for excellence in the arts, and was. Our analysis of suzan loriparkss venus 1996, eve enslers the vagina.
Pulitzer prizewinning playwright suzanlori parks pens a tale based on the real life of venus hottentot, saartje baartman. Troubling the hottentot and scientific racism in bessie heads maru and ama ata aidoos our sister killjoy 7 zetoile imma nine staging the body of the mother. The reobjectification and recommodification of saartjie baartman in suzanlori parkss venus. She has been named one of time magazines 100 innovators for the next new wave and is a recipient of the macarthur award. Suzanlori parkss venus, in the blood, and fucking a. Suzanlori parkss the america play and its deconstructive. Venus by suzanlori parks performing at wendell narcisse performing arts black box theater jan 11 feb 5 runtime. Understanding suzanlori parks by jennifer larson, 2012. Suzanlori parkss the america play and its deconstructive ontology rachel a. Suzanlori parkss most popular book is topdogunderdog. Suzanlori parkss venus, in the blood, and fucking a carol schafer the early plays of suzanlori parks often are referred to as the history plays in which the playwright reconstructs historical events to fill a. Suzanlori parks bio, photos, theatre credits, stage history. At the age of fortyfive, parks has already written twelve plays, a novel and a few screenplays and she is.
Venus production march 2017 the panafrican theatre. The great hole of history is where onlookers peer down and confront the national mythology as the mighty and famous of yesteryear parade below, and its a remote experience to some. Suzan lori parks is also the recipient of a macarthur genius award, a whiting writers award, a calartsalpert award in the arts, two obie awards, and a eugene mcdermott award in. Venus by suzan lori parks spring production the panafrican theatre ensemble artistic director. By suzan lori parks venus acting edition by suzan lori parks suzan lori parks continues her examination of black people in history and stage through the life of the socalled hottentot venus, an african woman displayed seminude throughout europe due to her extraordinary physiognomy. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The playwright suzan lori parks, who grew up in a military family and attended high school in west germany, knows what it is to be an outsider. Parks uses repeated poetic verse and farcical humor to soften the subjugation history lesson. However, in viewing her body on the stage, the audience has to reconcile the idea that it is witnessing a woman who is at once both alive and. It traces the evolution of parks art from her earliest experimental pieces to the hugely popular topdogunderdog to her wideranging forays into fiction, music, and film. In 1810, a young black woman named saartje baartman traveled from south africa to england in search of fame and riches. Suzanlori parks picture gallery on with suzanlori parks photos from stage, special events, red carpets and more. Actress zainab jah of suzanlori parks venus discusses what it was like stepping into the role of saartjie baartman, and what she hopes audiences take away from the show. The playwright suzanlori parks, who grew up in a military family and attended high school in west germany, knows what it is to be an outsider.
May 20, 2017 venus is on stage at pershing square signature center, 480 w 42nd st. A symposium on the work of suzanlori parks part one. In 1810, amid public sensation, scandal, and debate, saartjie pronounced, in afrikaans, sarkey baartman, a member of the khoisan khoikhoi and san peoples of south africa, was put on nearnude public display in london and paris. The america play 6 istinguishing highquality, gripping drama from cloying, reductive d sentimentality, pulitzer prizewinning playwright suzanlori parks. The reobjectification and recommodification of saartjie baartman in suzan lori parks s venus. Within the very heart of western civilization, her body became the equivalent of a far away land to conquer and rule. Suzanlori parks venus at signature theatre in new york.
Question of identities in suzanlori parkss postrevolutionary drama. Zainab jah, who made an impressive broadway debut as a sex slave turned soldier in eclipsed, is back on a new york stage with another vivid portrayal of an exploited but strong african woman in venus. More traveling from her home in southern africa for what she hoped would be a better life, saartjie baartman became an unfortunate star on the 19thcentury london freak show circuit. The author of nine fulllength plays, most of which are taught at drama schools. Critics and scholars the following is an edited transcript of a symposium held at hunter college on april 30, 2004, organized and moderated by jonathan kalb. The text features a contextualizing preface and twelve new essays about her plays, novel, and screenplays. Oct 10, 2012 mount holyoke alumna and pulitzer prizewinning playwright suzan lori parks 85 talks about success in the arts, which she says results from a combination of talent and hard work, and about the. Discussion of themes and motifs in suzan lori parks in the blood. Her plays capture the nightmares of african americans endangered by a white establishment determined to erase their history and eradicate their dreams. A 38yearold playwright, she first made her mark on the fringes of off broadway with plays that defied virtually every aspect of naturalistic theater. Suzanlori parks is the recipient of the 22nd dorothy and lillian gish prize, awarded annually to artists who have had an extraordinary impact in their disciplines. Her other plays include the book of grace in the blood venus the death of the last black man in the whole entire world fucking a imperceptible mutabilities in the third kingdom and the america play.
Suzanlori parks in person contains 18 interviews, some previously untranscribed or specially undertaken for this book, plus commentaries on her work by major directors and critics, including liz diamond, richard foreman, bonnie metzgar and beth schachter. Love, desire, and intimacy in suzanlori parkss venus lisa mendelman pulitzer prizewinning playwright suzanlori parkss venus 1990 pres ents versions of love that problematize its construct as a straightforward. In 2007 her creation 365 plays365 days was produced in more than seven hundred theaters around the world. Set in southern africa, england, and ending in paris, france, the play is a. Inspired by the truelife story of sarah saartjie baartman, the play venus provides a fictional account of her life abroad in 19th century london. Suzan lori parks, who not only wrote such dazzling plays, but who also responded graciously to my barrage of questions. The story is told through a sequence of 31 scenes, the majority of which chronicle the life of the venus. Suzanlori parks is an american playwright, screenwriter, musician and novelist. Love, desire, and intimacy in suzanlori parkss venus. However, in viewing her body on the stage, the audience has to reconcile the idea that it is witnessing a woman. Suzan lori parks creates theatricality out of this story in the way she manipulates structure.
Understanding suzan lori parks is a critical study of a playwright and screenwriter who was the first african american woman to receive the pulitzer prize for drama. She ended up notorious as the hottentot venus, a sideshow novelty billed as having the biggest bottom in the world. Suzanlori parks creates theatricality out of this story in the way she manipulates structure. Suzanlori parks 365 days365 plays and the new theatre festival by allison leadley b. Suzanlori parkss venus 1997 ends in the same way that it begins. Essays and criticism on suzan lori parks, including the works imperceptible mutabilities in the third kingdom, venus, in the blood, topdogunderdog critical survey of drama. Set design by matt saunders, costume design by emilio sosa, sound design and composed by brandon wolcott. Venus a play written by pulitzer prize winning wplaywright, suzanlori parks chronicles the life of an 18th century slave woman promised with riches after she was lured from africa.
Venus by suzan lori parks pdf, venus suzan lori parks, venus suzan lori parks ebook, suzanlori parks, suzan lori parks plays, top dog underdog suzan lori parks, topdog underdog suzan lori parks, burroughs edgar r venus 05 the wizard of venus sf, national parks service parks victoria home, dear. For sharing information about their wonderful productions and. Suzanlori parks turns toward naturalism by don shewey. The story of sarah baartman, a khoisan woman brought to europe in 1810 to confirm the racial inferiority of her people, 1 is emblematic of how colonial relations of dominance can be reproduced independently of contexts of political and territorial occupation. Download pdf suzan lori parks ebook full get book direct. Her 2001 play topdogunderdog won the pulitzer prize for drama in 2002. Discussion of themes and motifs in suzanlori parks in the blood. I seek to demonstrate that in textualizing the quality of absence in the written dialogue, parkss. Suzanlori parks, who not only wrote such dazzling plays, but who also responded graciously to my barrage of questions. Suzanlori parks seems to have lost her damn mind with this play. She is lured away from her home in south africa with the promise of riches and is put on display for british and parisian audiences. Understanding suzanlori parks is a critical study of a playwright and screenwriter who was the first african american woman to receive the pulitzer prize for drama. Charlayne woodard will play a contemporary hester in the world premiere of suzan lori parks modern take on nathaniel hawthornes the scarlet letter, in the blood, beginning performances nov.
Essays on the plays and other works and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Set in southern africa, england, and ending in paris, france, the play is a response to some of the known historical events that occurred to a khoisan woman known as saartjie baartman sarah baartman the venus hottentot. Sitting through suzanlori parks the america play is not unlike a visit to the theme park serving as her central image. Suzanlori parks continues her examination of black people in history and stage through the life of the socalled hottentot venus, an african woman displayed seminude throughout europe due to her extraordinary physiognomy. The reobjectification and recommodification of saartjie. The first african american woman to win the pulitzer prize for drama, suzan lori parks has received international recognition for her provocative and influential works. Discrimination, racism, subaltern, suzan lori parks, and venus. Dec 15, 2012 suzan lori parks continues her examination of black people in history and stage through the life of the socalled hottentot venus, an african woman displayed seminude throughout europe due to her extraordinary physiognomy. Venus 1996 is a black play which was completed by suzan lori parks in 1995. Naor abstract i intend to showcase suzanlori parkss repetitious, supplemental virtuosity, which is a testament to the fluid, indeterminate condition of her concepts. A portrait of the remarkable african american playwright.