BookRags Literature Study Guide

Angels Fall by Lanford Wilson

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%&'''$&'(& BookRags, )nc" ALL R)G*+S R,S,R-,." +he follo!ing sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: /resenting Analysis, 0onte1t, and 0riticism on 0ommonly Studied 2orks: )ntroduction, Author Biography, /lot Summary, 0haracters, +hemes, Style, *istorical 0onte1t, 0ritical 3vervie!, 0riticism and 0ritical ,ssays, 4edia Adaptations, +opics for Further Study, 0ompare 5 0ontrast, 2hat .o ) Read 6e1t7, For Further Study, and Sources" 8c9(::;$&''&< 8c9&''& #y Gale" Gale is an imprint of +he Gale Group, )nc", a division of +homson Learning, )nc" Gale and .esign= and +homson Learning are trademarks used herein under license" +he follo!ing sections, if they e1ist, are offprint from Beacham's ,ncyclopedia of /opular Fiction: >Social 0oncerns>, >+hematic 3vervie!>, >+echni?ues>, >Literary /recedents>, >@ey Auestions>, >Related +itles>, >Adaptations>, >Related 2e# Sites>" 8c9(::B$&''C, #y 2alton Beacham" +he follo!ing sections, if they e1ist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Doung Adults: >A#out the Author>, >3vervie!>, >Setting>, >Literary Aualities>, >Social Sensitivity>, >+opics for .iscussion>, >)deas for Reports and /apers>" 8c9(::B$&''C, #y 2alton Beacham" All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are o!ned and copy!ritten #y BookRags, )nc" 6o part of this !ork covered #y the copyright hereon may #e reproduced or used in any form or #y any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, 2e# distri#ution or information storage retrieval systems !ithout the !ritten permission of the pu#lisher"

Introduction
4ore than t!enty years after its de#ut, Lanford 2ilson's Angels Fall continues to #e a little$ kno!n and rarely produced play" 0ommissioned #y the 6e! 2orld Festival of 4iami, Florida, in (:;&, it moved to the 0ircle Repertory +heater in 6e! Dork later that year" )n (:;E, despite a #rief run on Broad!ay, 6e! Dork drama critic Fohn Simon Gudged it as the #est American play that season" Hnlike the familiar ur#an and 4id!estern settings of

2ilson's previous plays, Angels Fall is set in a church in the desert of the American South!est" +he catalyst for the play's actionIa nuclear accident at a uranium mine that forces a group of people to take refuge at a 0atholic missionIis more overtly political than many of his other plays and can even #e seen, particularly through the figure of Father .oherty, as a morality tale a#out the nuclear age" Although the accident at 0hin Rock mine alludes to a #roader theme of 2ilson's that concerns the destruction of the a national heritage as found in the stark natural #eauty of the South!est, another key theme unravels as the characters gathered at the church #egin to interact" 2hat is most compelling a#out the play is its a#ility to conGure up comple1 feelings in the characters a#out the direction their lives have taken, particularly as it concerns their occupations" For some, such as the tennis player Jappy, there is no am#ivalence regarding vocation" 0ontrast that !ith .on +a#aha, !hose choices !ill have an effect not Gust on him #ut the community of 6ative Americans !ith !hom he has spent his life" +hus, a main ?uestion that 2ilson pursues throughout the play reveals a concern !ith #eing satisfied !ith the kind of !ork one has chosen to do" 3ne's !ork or vocation must have a function that moves #eyond economic need" For this cast of professionals, !ork must #e meaningful or else one's life has not #een lived as fully as it could have #een" +he a#sent presence of an environmental disaster as a #ackdrop to the play compels the characters to confront, if it is only momentarily, ho! to live fully in the time given doing !ork that is satisfying"

Author Biography
.ramatist Lanford 2ilson !as #orn in Le#anon, 4issouri, on April (E, (:EK" An only child of divorced parents, 2ilson spent most of his younger years !ith his mother in 4issouri, only reuniting !ith his father in 0alifornia after his freshman year of college" After only a year in San .iego !here he attended San .iego State 0ollege, 2ilson moved to 0hicago, spending si1 years there !orking as a copy!riter in advertising !hile pursuing his !riting career" )n (:L&, 2ilson moved to 6e! Dork and #ecame involved !ith the e1perimental drama scene at off$off$Broad!ay theaters such as 0affe 0ino and 0afe La 4ama ,1perimental +heater" )n (:LE, his first play So Long at the Fair !as produced at 0affe 0ino" 2hile many of his early plays !ere produced at these e1perimental theaters, it !as not until the late (:L's !hen 2ilson, along !ith three of his friends involved in theater, founded the 0ircle Repertory 0ompany that he #egan to garner a reputation as an important American play!right" )t !as at this venue that many of his #est kno!n plays Hot l Baltimore 8(:KE9, Talley's Folly 8(:K:9, and Burn This 8(:;K9 had their premieres< many of them moving to Broad!ay theaters after receiving critical revie!s" .uring the (:K's, 2ilson gained recognition as a maGor American play!right" )n (:KE, he received the 6e! Dork .rama 0ritics 0ircle A!ard for Best American /lay and an 3#ie for Hot l Baltimore" +!o years later, The Moundbuilders !on an 3#ie, an a!ard that recogniMes outstanding off$Broad!ay productions" )n (:;', 2ilson received a /ulitMer /riMe for Talley's Folly, the first of three plays that follo!ed several generations of an American family" 3ne of his less !ell$received plays, produced in (:;& for the 6e! 2orld Festival of 4iami, Florida, Angels Fall later opened at the 0ircle Repertory +heater and eventually moved to Broad!ay !here it had only a short run #efore closing" Lemon Sky, another play that did not do !ell on Broad!ay during its first appearance in (:K', !as later revived successfully and adapted to television in a /BS American /layhouse production" )n the past decade, 2ilson has continued to !rite plays and colla#orate !ith long$time friend and fello! 0ircle Repertory 0ompany founder, 4arshall 4ason" )n (::C, after nearly thirty years of #eing its play!right$in$residence, 2ilson resigned from his position" Since then, he has held a num#er artist$in$residencies at theaters such as the Signature in 6e! Dork and at university theater departments such as the Hniversity of *ouston and AriMona State

Hniversity" 2hen not in residence, he lives in Sag *ar#or on Long )sland, 6e! Dork"

Summary and Analysis

Act
+he setting of Angels Fall is a small, plain ado#e church in north!estern 6e! 4e1ico" +he play takes place during an afternoon and early evening" As the play #egins, .on +a#aha is sitting in the church staring at the !all" 4omentarily he !alks into the residence !here he, his mother 4aria, and Father .oherty live" As the play #egins, t!o of the main characters, 6iles and -ita *arris, are heard offstage" From their conversation, it appears that they have #een turned #ack #y the high!ay patrol and have sought refuge from the heat in the church" After they enter the church, -ita goes off to make a phone call to .r" Singer !ho runs the mental health institute !here 6iles is going for therapy" As they !ait for .r" Singer to call, .on !alks into the church and tells them that the church is closed on Saturdays" Soon after this e1change, voices are heard approaching" 4omentarily, 4arion and Jappy enter the church and head to!ard the phone" A fe! minutes later, Father .oherty enters the church and assumes -ita and 6iles are here for a conference or appointment !hich he cannot remem#er making" 2hen -ita e1plains that there !as a #ridge out at the fork, .oherty claims there is no pro#lem !ith the #ridge at this time of year, #ut that it must #e >some pro#lem !ith the nuclear thing again"> 2hen they in?uire a#out it again, he #rushes them off and asks if they have seen .on !hom he descri#es as >short, dark, surly"> 2hen -ita tells the priest that .on left on his motorcycle, the priest appears distur#ed, then looks out the !indo! and sees .on arguing !ith Arthur, the high!ay patrol officer !ho is also his uncle" 6iles pursues .oherty a#out the nuclear accident and .oherty e1plains that the !hole area is surrounded #y uranium mines, nuclear po!er plants, and to1ic dumps that often e1perience accidents" Soon 4arion and Jap enter the church again and the priest enters his living ?uarters" Jap tells them that something !ent !rong !hen some yello! cake !as #eing loaded at the 0hin Rock mine and that traffic is #eing stopped for a hundred miles" 4arion tells -ita and 6iles that they are due in San .iego tomorro! for a tennis match and need to catch a plane at the local airport" 2hile talking a#out !hat route to take to leave the area, they hear a helicopter approach" A voice from a speaker proclaims, >Stay indoors" +he roads are temporarily closed"> 2hen it is clear everyone in the church must stay there for a !hile, the priest has his housekeeper make them lemonade" 4ean!hile, .on enters the church, demanding to learn !hat 4arion kno!s a#out the 0hin Rock mine accident" *e is furious that Arthur !ill not allo! him to travel on the road" *e is supposed to #e leaving for Berkley that evening to take up a position as a researcher" 2hile -ita is once again talking to the clinic in /hoeni1, 4arion and 6iles discover they are #oth involved !ith art, he as an art professor and she as a gallery o!ner" 6iles also learns that 4arion is the !ido! of ,rnest Branch, a !ell$kno!n regional artist" Although she lives in the area, she is a#out to move, having sold most of her late hus#and's !ork to various museums around the country" Father .oherty returns !ith the lemonade and ackno!ledges .on, !ho has #een sitting ?uietly !hile the others talk" +ension erupts #et!een .on and the priest and .on leaves again" +he priest e1plains to the others that, instead of administering medicine to his people, the 6avaGo, .on has decided to take a research position at a famous cancer institute" After!ards, the characters #egin to e1press frustration a#out not #eing a#le to leave" 4ean!hile, 6iles reveals that he is not returning to the college !here he teaches since undergoing a >!illful suspension of dis#elief"> *e and -ita then descri#e the reason !hy he is on his !ay to the mental health clinic" .on and Jap enter the church again, .on !ith a

ne!spaper and Jap !ith earphones, listening to the radio" *e tells everyone that someone has died at the mine already and that a truck overturned, #lo!ing yello!cake dust all over" ,veryone #ecomes nervous and #egins discussing the difficulties of living in the south!est" .iscussion turns to!ard .on a#out his decision" Soon, .on and Father .oherty are #ickering a#out his decision" 2hen 6iles gets involved, .on accuses him of not living in the real !orld and mocks his decision to go to .r" Singer's !here all the !ealthy professionals go" 6iles leaves in a huff" .on !ho is tired of hearing the priest press him to stay, also departs" By the end of the first act, -ita is the only one left in the church" She holds 6iles's Gacket and turns to!ard the altar"

Act !
+he second act #egins at dusk !ith a discussion #et!een -ita and Father .oherty a#out the !ork that he does in the area" Jap, !ho is listening to the radio, tells them that traffic is #eginning to move and that the road should #e cleared #y ;:''" After Father .oherty leaves the church, 4arion and -ita discuss the difficulties of moving and getting rid of personal effects" 4arion is putting together a sho! of her late hus#and's that !ill #e e1hi#ited in 0hicago and other cities around the country" Soon after .on returns to the church, 6iles enters and apologiMes to him for his #ehavior" 4ean!hile, 4arion tells Jap a#out the schedule he !ill #e playing in the tennis tournament" ,ach of his contenders appears to #e easily defeated" 2hile he and .on are talking, Father .oherty comes in and again #egins goading .on a#out his decision" +his time, the priest chides him for moving to 6orthern 0alifornia !here, unlike his current situation, he !ill #e living among very !ell$to$do people" 6iles seems to #e getting upset again and suddenly claims that he and -ita are leaving" *o!ever, he takes ill and falls to a #ench" .on immediately #egins to diagnose him, asking ?uestions and making him drink lemonade" After a !hile, 6iles recovers from !hat .on has tentatively descri#ed as a hypoglycemic, or lo! #lood sugar, attack" +his scare allo!s him to discuss his departure from the college and his feelings a#out his profession as a teacher and scholar" +he priest Goins in the discussion, claiming that teaching is a calling much like .on's calling to medicine, and his to the priesthood" Jap also chimes in claiming that tennis !as a calling to him at a very young age and recounts the story of ho! he kne! he !as a tennis player !ithout ever really playing the game" 3verhead, a voice announces from a helicopter that the road is clear" 3n hearing this, Father .oherty runs outside, shouting that the road is not clear" Back inside, he resumes hounding .on a#out his decision to leave the indigenous people !ho have very little health care availa#le to them in the area" At this point, 6iles intervenes again #ut more aggressively pointing out the priest's ina#ility to see .on's decision for !hat it isIhis o!n" Suddenly, after a pause in the argument, the priest understands !hat he has #een doing to .on, denying him the freedom to make his o!n decision" *e !ishes .on good luck and #egins to get ready for mass that evening" As the characters depart, they treat each other !ith ne!found respect and intimacy" 6iles and -ita decide to remain for evening mass #ut go and take a !alk #eforehand" )n the final moments of the play, .on says his good#ye to Father .oherty" +hey make gestures of reconciliation to!ard each other and then .on leaves, crying" +he play ends !ith Father .oherty ringing the church #ells for mass to #egin"

Characters
"arion Clay
4arion 0lay is the !ido! of a !ell$kno!n 6e! 4e1ico artist !ho is dating a younger man, Salvatore Jappala or Jappy" *er vocation in life has #een to run an art gallery in 0hicago !here she has sold her hus#and's and other contemporary artists' !ork successfully" 2hen the

play #egins, 4arion is in the midst of selling her dead hus#and's effects so that she can leave the south!est and attend to her gallery as !ell as her lover's career as a professional tennis player" *o!ever, even though she is portrayed as an independent !oman, she has a very maternal relationship to Jappy, indulging him as one !ould a child a#out his health and !ell$ #eing"

Father William #oherty

Father .oherty is the parish priest of the 6e! 4e1ico mission !here the play takes place" As a mentor to .on +a#aha, the young half$6avaGo studying medicine, Father .oherty tries to convince him to stay in 6e! 4e1ico and administer to the 6ative Americans !ho live in the vicinity rather than pursue a career as a researcher at H0 Berkeley" +heir conflict acts as the ne1us for the other >couples> in conflict: 6iles and -ita *arris and 4arion and Jappy" .espite his officious nature, the priest reveals himself to have only good intentions, even if they are misguided" +hroughout the play, he acts as a unifying force among the strangers gathered at the church" *is friendly overtures include serving lemonade, giving counsel to 6iles *arris, the professor !ho has recently undergone a nervous #reakdo!n, and his !ife, -ita, and providing comic relief during the tense hours !hen everyone is trying to figure out the effects of the nuclear accident" *o!ever, despite his !himsical nature, often t!isting popular song lyrics to suit his o!n situation, he is ?uite serious a#out persuading .on to stay and administer medicine to his people" Fust as .oherty had a calling to the priesthood, he is intent on convincing .on that #eing a doctor and not a scientist is his vocation"

$iles %arris
6iles *arris is a middle$aged art history professor !ho is on his !ay to a mental health clinic in AriMona !ith his !ife, -ita" After suffering a nervous #reakdo!n in the classroom due to !hat he refers to as >my !illful suspension of dis#elief,> 6iles is asked to take a temporary leave at the university in /rovidence, Rhode )sland !here he !orks" 3n route to /hoeni1, 6iles and -ita stop at the mission to use a phone and end up staying for several hours !hile a near#y nuclear accident is #eing contained" )t is clear that the professor is not mentally alert and often appears to #e forgetful and daft despite his erudition" *e is ?uerulous and difficult at times, sarcastic and #iting, especially to!ard .on !ho mocks him for his position in the ivory to!er" After e1periencing a slight case of hypoglycemia that .on diagnoses and then treats, 6iles calms do!n, confessing the details of his mid$life crisis candidly !ith .on and the priest" 3f all the characters in the play, 6iles appears to #e most changed #y the hours spent confined !ith strangers" *is momentary health crisis leads him to appreciate .on's generosity of spirit and to connect !ith Father .oherty a#out their callings as teachers despite their differences" Finally, in the last scene he comes to the aid of .on #y defending his decision to leave 6e! 4e1ico for 0alifornia" Speaking from e1perience, he derides Father .oherty #y e1claiming, >Dou cannot hold po!er over another man< even for his o!n good">

&ita %arris
As the young !ife of 6iles *arris, -ita *arris is e1ceptionally pretty, thin, and smart" 2hereas 6iles is cantankerous, -ita is up#eat and charming" +hroughout the play, she is the paragon of the protective and supportive !ife, providing 6iles !ith as much care as she can !hile also gently chiding him for his cantankerous !ays" As a former student of his, -ita shares his love of art and history" Although she does not have a maGor role in the play, -ita acts as the #ack#one to the relationship, making sure they are in touch !ith the mental health institute !here they are going, providing support !hen 6iles's faculties are ?uite !eak and #eing amena#le to his various !hims"

#on 'abaha
)ntentionally unfriendly and #elligerent at times to!ard the other characters, .on +a#aha, a young half$6avaGo, has given up his intention to #e a doctor in the )ndian community in northern 6e! 4e1ico to take a high level position as a research scientist near San Francisco" )t is his decision to take the position that results in continual conflicts #et!een him and his mentor and su#stitute father, Father .oherty, !ho !ants him to practice medicine among his people" *is torment is e1acer#ated #y the nuclear accident !hich prevents him from leaving, and thus allo!s Father .oherty to harp on his decision to leave" +o!ard the end of the play, .on reiterates the famous line delivered #y Fames .ean in Rebel without a Cause as he declares to the priest, >Dou are tearing me apart"> +hroughout the play, .on appears on the periphery of the action, trying to keep to himself and dissuade others from engaging !ith him, yet !hen 6iles e1periences a hypoglycemic attack, it is .on !ho administers aid and provide comfort" At the end of the play, he #reaks do!n crying as he leaves the priest, thus capturing the difficulty of his decision"

Sal(atore )appala
Referred to as Jappy, the young lover of 4arion 0lay aspires to #e a champion tennis player" Although he has a rather minor role in the play compared to the other characters, his youth and vitality are contrasted to the diminishing health and !ell$#eing of 6iles *arris" 2hereas 6iles' career is vie!ed as over #ecause of his failing state of mind, Jappy is on his !ay to the top if he is given a chance to sho! his talents as a tennis player" +hroughout the play, Jappy plays a marginal role, acting out childish !hims a#out the upcoming tournament he is a#out to play, o#sessing a#out his health, and even at times trying to undermine himself #y #elittling his a#ilities" *o!ever, like 4arion, he understands !ho he is and !hat he !ants" *is determination to #e a contender on the tennis circuit is !itnessed #y the !ay he recounts playing tennis for the first time and kno!ing that !as !hat he !anted to do" Although he may #e younger than the other characters, his understanding of !ho he is and !hat he !ants to do is ?uite certain"

)appy
See Salvatore Jappala

'hemes
Follo*ing +ne,s Calling
A central theme of follo!ing one's calling or vocation emerges most fre?uently in the #itter e1changes #et!een .on +a#aha and Father .oherty over +a#aha's decision to #ecome a research scientist and the more philosophical discussions #et!een 6iles and Father .oherty over 6iles's loss of faith in his scholarship and its effect on his teaching art history" +he a#ility to follo! one's calling despite occasional lapses is !itnessed in .oherty himself" For e1ample, he descri#es his church service to -ita as one !here >+!elve, fifteen stoic 6avaGos shuffle in, kneel, ) mum#le sincerely, they mum#le sincerely, and they shuffle out"> For Father .oherty, administering religion to a congregation that may not #e particularly attuned to everything that 0hristianity has to offer may #e daunting #ut it is !hat he does" *is insistence on the importance of vocation is most dramatically seen in the encounters he has !ith .on !hom he thinks !as meant to #e a local doctor" Det .on's decision is #ased on !hat he considers >a very special talent for research"> 3n a more positive note, the priest encourages 6iles to return to teaching !hich he sees as #eing part of his vocation as a priest" )n nearly all

of the characters, a desire to do something !ith one's life involves !ork" For 4arion, it is selling the !ork of contemporary artists< for her lover, Jappy, it is playing tennis, a talent he discovered having !hile in grade school" 2hat these chance encounters among the characters engender is a reassessment of !hat is most important, particularly !ith the threat of nuclear contamination occurring near#y"

Skepticism about 'echnology

+he nuclear accident at the 0hin Rock mine acts as a reminder that dangerous technologies threaten mankind" Although the setting of the accident is offstage, reference is made to it throughout the play as a !ay of dra!ing danger close enough to the characters to have a feeling of unease" *o!ever, more pertinent are Father .oherty's comments that make it clear ho! technology has contri#uted to the destruction of the natural environment in the South!est as !ell as to its native peoples, many of !hom are employed in the nuclear industry" .escri#ing the fre?uent accidents that occur at the various nuclear mines, reactors, and !aste dumps in the vicinity as >the /erils of /auline,> .oherty e1presses his disgust at the government's ina#ility to consider the dangers of its policies" /articularly via the character of the priest, 2ilson reveals a cautious attitude to!ard em#racing the concept of technology as improving the ?uality of life" )nstead, .oherty fi1ates on ho! these technologies have contaminated natural resources and endangered human lives" )n addition, .on +a#aha's decision to a#andon his adolescent dream of #eing a local doctor to pursue genetic engineering reveals ho! the pursuit of scientific kno!ledge can #e highly seductive"

Crisis of Faith
)solated from the rest of the !orld due to the nuclear accident, several of the characters, particularly 6iles, .on, and Father .oherty, reveal in o#vious and o#li?ue !ays that they are undergoing a crisis of faith regarding their !ork" +his crisis is most out!ardly e1pressed in 6iles *arris, !ho admits that !hile reading his life's !ork, he e1perienced >a !illful suspension of dis#elief> that made him realiMe that his scholarship !as a farce" +his leads him to comment that for thirty years he had #een >#rain!ashing the little #astards> in the classroom" After #reaking do!n in the classroom, he !as told to take a leave from the university !here he taught" )n contrast to 6iles's open confession of his crises, Father .oherty appears to #e proGecting his o!n crisis of faith onto .on" +he priest does not seem to get much satisfaction out of his !ork in this remote parish, partly #ecause it seems as if he is not really needed" Still, he is una#le to leave #ecause he is so attached to the region and its people" .on, on the other hand, seems over!helmed #y the amount of !ork that needs to #e done in terms of providing good health care to the 6avaGos" *is crisis stems from his fear of failure as is !itnessed !hen he lists maGor diseases affecting the 6avaGo and ends #y saying to -ita, >there's no time for one person in a hundred years to #egin to correct a millennium of genetic neglect"> 0ompared to these men, minor characters such as 4arion, Jappy, and -ita appear sta#le and content !ith their life's decisions although their social roles do not have as much import as a doctor, priest, and professor does"

Style
#ialogue
+he dialogue in the play is marked #y fast$paced one$liners interspersed !ith monologues that slo! do!n the pace of the play" +he #itter and detailed e1changes #et!een .on and Father .oherty reveal a comple1 history of e1pectations and o#ligations that leave others !ho do not kno! them outside the loop" )n contrast, 2ilson employs monologues to reveal auto#iographical details that #ring understanding and empathy to the listeners" +hroughout

the play, these t!o kinds of dialogue create a rhythm, at points highlighting the intensity of the accident occurring offstage, !hile at others marking the passing of time for people !ho are in transit" At moments throughout the play, 2ilson uses overlapping dialogue to convey a rush to gain understanding of someone or something" *e also peppers his dialogue !ith popular sayings, passages from the Bi#le, and popular song lyrics as found in the sometimes solemn, sometimes humorous speech of Father .oherty"

Genre
+he dramatic structure of Angels Fall is #est descri#ed as a 'sealed$room' play in !hich characters !ho may not kno! each other or !ho are very different from each other are forced together due to an unforeseen or unkno!n circumstance" +he accident at the 0hin Rock mine results in the characters not #eing a#le to go any!here until notified #y authorities" All of the characters are affected in different !ays #y this ne!s in terms of !here they are supposed to #e going, yet having their plans on hold allo!s each of them to take the time to interact !ith people !hom they may not typically meet" +hus, a priest, a professor, a tennis player, an art gallery o!ner, and a scientist are #rought together, each !ith his or her particular !orldvie!" Although these !orld vie!s clash throughout the play, there are occasional moments of understanding" +he accident literally seals the characters off from the !orld, e1cept for the radio and phone, thus allo!ing time to #e placed on hold"

Setting
2ilson uses the setting of a church in the 6e! 4e1ican desert to highlight his themes of finding one's calling, #eing skeptical of technology, and undergoing a crisis of faith" )n particular, the church sym#oliMes the need for a sanctuary in a !orld that is increasingly dehumaniMed through moderniMation, commercialiMation, and militariMation" +hus, even though the church provides sanctuary, its modern day counterpart, the 0hin Rock mine acts as a more compelling #ut a#sent setting" 2hereas the nuclear accident sym#oliMes the destruction of the natural !orld, the church promotes preservation of traditional values" *o!ever, that the church is located in the desert reveals its marginaliMed position from the mainstream" Although the church may have an impact on the fe! humans it serves in the area, it has little effect on the economic and political realities represented #y the uranium mine, !hich though never stated in the play, contri#utes to the creation and continuation of the military$industrial comple1"

Symbolism
)t is also significant that the church is located at a crossroads since many of the characters in the play, particularly 6iles and .on, find themselves at a moment in their lives !here they are e1periencing indecision a#out their life's !ork" 2hereas 6iles must determine !hether he can return to the classroom, .on must decide !hether to stay among his people or leave to pursue an illustrious career as a scientist" ,ach of these decisions is #ased on !hat their vocation is in life" )t is the priest, acting as a mediator, !ho #oth th!arts 8as in the case of .on9 and facilitates 8as in the case of 6iles9 these decisions" Another important sym#ol conveying the ina#ility of these characters to make a decision is the helicopter that appears like a modern deity to !arn the neigh#oring areas around the mine that >+he road is closed"> +hat the road is closed metaphorically may mean that there is a temporary ina#ility to move for!ard in life as represented #y .on and 6iles's indecisiveness" Later, at the end of the play, the helicopter reappears, signaling that the road has reopened and that #oth .on and 6iles can no! make their !ay"

Allusion

+he title of the play is taken from a Gerald 4anley *opkins poem that compares the condition of humans !hose lives for the most part are ordinary and often times lackluster to the dramatic story of fallen angels !ho rise and fall maGestically" +he contrast #et!een the eternal and temporal !hich *opkins e1plores in the poem poses this ?uestion: if humans cannot live on the grand scale that angels do, !hat can they do to make their lives have significance !hile here on earth7 +he need to find a calling seems to #e the ans!er in this play" For the short time that the characters are gathered at the church, they seem to come to some realiMation that they only have a short time in !hich to do !hat they can to improve life on earth, regardless of ho! small these actions may appear" A similar allusion to the theme of ho! to live one's life gracefully and fully !ithin the time that one has is posed #y Father .oherty !hen he ?uotes from the Bi#le: >Seeing then that all these things shall #e dissolved, !hat manner of persons ought ye to #e in all holy conversation and godliness7> +he ?uote as found in the 6e! +estament alludes to the possi#ility of an apocalypse and challenges its readers to live life in a manner in !hich confronting death !ill not #e frightening" As a contemporary e1ample, the play provides a situation in !hich the characters face an environmental disaster that is highly suggestive of an even #leaker possi#ility, the end of the !orld due to nuclear !ar" For these characters, undergoing even a slightly deeper understanding of themselves may #e the only possi#le course of action, #ut it !ill #e one that is true to themselves"

%istorical Conte-t
As a play!right coming of age in the (:C's, 2ilson, like his other dramatic cohorts, dre! his inspiration from the social and historical conditions that transformed the Hnited States into a superpo!er after 2orld 2ar ))" .espite the general optimism #uoyed #y post$!ar economic gro!th throughout the (:C's, the rush to!ards #uilding and maintaining a nuclear arsenal ready to #e deployed at any moment resulted in social an1iety and occasional panic a#out the possi#ility of nuclear annihilation" )n Drama Sin e !"#$% A Criti al History, 4atthe! Roudane notes that >Some of our dramatists lived through many of these historical and social e1periences, and their plays reflect an uneasiness !ith an increasingly atomiMed and mechaniMed post!ar America"> +he gro!th of the military state resulted in the production of thousands of !arheads capa#le of reaching the Soviet Hnion at any time" )n addition, the conservative cultural climate of the cold !ar provoked anti$0ommunist sentiment in the (:C's, kno!n as the 4c0arthy ,ra, !hich involved an attempt to root out American 0ommunists" 4any people lost their Go#s and !ent to Gail, often times for little more than #eing a mem#er of the American 0ommunist /arty" 3thers !ere falsely accused of spying for America's nemesis, the Soviet Hnion" Along !ith the social panic incited #y Senator Foseph 4c0arthy and the fear of nuclear !ar came an understanding of the cold !ar's impact on the environment through the production of uranium and the testing of missiles" Starting in the (:C's and continuing today 8despite the dismantling of the Soviet Hnion in the late (:;'s9, the Hnited States military has used the 2est and South!est as a testing ground for missiles" )n addition, the region's rich mineral resources, particularly uranium, are needed to fuel nuclear po!er plants" +hus, it is not surprising that throughout the play, references are made to the deadly costs of #uilding military strength" Literally, the deaths of !orkers at the 0hin Rock mine reflect the dangers inherent in the industry" )n particular, it is Father .oherty !ho addresses the potential environmental haMards that surround his parish" >N2Oest are a#out seven mines and mills, and east of here the Rio /uerco goes a!ash !ith some kind of !aste" " " , and of course there's the reactor at Los Alamos and

the missile #ase at 2hite Sands"> *is anger and distrust of the nuclear industry acts as the moral #arometer for a nation o#sessed !ith its o!n technological achievements" Because the play takes place in the early (:;'s, during an accelerated #uild up of nuclear missiles under the administration of Ronald Reagan, an underlying theme is that Americans have lost sight of !hat really matters" +hus, the setting of a church during a time !here the end of the !orld is near signifies that spiritual and traditional values are #eing replaced #y the gods of technology and notions of progress" Father .oherty e1presses this !hen yelling at the helicopter after it has announced that the road is no! clear: >+he road is not clearP Dou're sick as catsP Dou've made the #om# your god and you're praying for the #om# to call in the num#er"> .uring an age !hen super po!ers have Gurisdiction over !hether or not the !orld !ill end, Angels Fall provides a #leak yet realistic vie! of the role of technology in the culture of the Hnited States"

Critical +(er(ie*
At the time that Angels Fall !as !ritten and produced in the early (:;'s, Lanford 2ilson had already esta#lished himself as an e1ceptional dramatist !ith compelling Broad!ay plays such as The Hot l Baltimore 8(:KE9, The Fi&th o& 'uly 8(:K;9, and Talley's Folley 8(:K:9" As Gerald Berko!itM notes in Ameri an Drama o& the Twentieth Century, 2ilson's plays, from the mid$ seventies on!ard, had >the a#ility to depict the comple1 emotions and relationships of a group of characters through a domestic realism given a lyrical tone #y a musical and poetic use of language"> 4ore than one critic has noted that 2ilson's emphasis on family relations com#ined !ith lyricism and compassion evoke +ennessee 2illiams, a play!right 2ilson deeply admired" *is emphasis on the dignified struggles of ordinary people in contemporary times has lead drama critic Anne .ean, in her #ook Dis o(ery and )n(ention% The *rban +lays o& Lan&ord ,ilson, to note that 2ilson is concerned !ith capturing >the dramatic and poetic essence of a particular social milieu> similar to the !ork of 0harles .ickens, !hom 2ilson cites as a maGor influence" She continues to e1amine these t!o !riters' similarities, suggesting that in #oth their !orks >metaphorically heightened messages a#out the unhappy state of the !orld a#ound"> /ro#a#ly no other play of 2ilson's illustrates the polemicist side of him than Angels Fall, !hich depicts the incidental gathering of a group of people in a 6e! 4e1ican church during a nuclear accident at a near#y uranium mine" 2hat strikes many critics of this play is its atypical setting !hich might account for critics' ina#ility to designate this play as one that fits into the schemata of 2ilson settingsI4id!est, 6e! Dork, 2est 0oast" *o!ever, like his other plays, the setting of the play is e1tremely important to the play's themes and outcomes" +he church setting shelters an ensem#le of characters !ho may not #e completely shunned from society as other misfit casts he has created in plays like Hot l Baltimore #ut it represents, according to +homas Adler in his article >+he Artist in the Garden: +heatre Space and /lace in Lanford 2ilson,> >an oasis " " " !hose inherent #eauty has #een threatened #y contemporary man's idoliMation of technological progress at the e1pense of human values"> )n this !ay, as noted #y 4ark Bus#y in Lan&ord ,ilson, the contrast of the church in the desert surrounded #y the !aste products of the modern age reveals a Gu1taposition of the eternal past 8the natural !orld, the spiritual !orld9 !ith the temporal present 8industry motivated #y capitalism9" +his theme of past and present in conflict !ith each other is also a key foundation to the crises of faith that the art professor, 6iles *arris, and the parish priest, Father .oherty, undergo in their ina#ility to accept the shift in thinking that the modern !orld demandsIthat truth has #ecome relative" 4ost critics agree that 2ilson's solution to this crisis of faith is found in the concept of vocation, !hich is offered as a solution to threat of nuclear !ar and ultimately death" +his is seen in the passage from the 6e! +estament that incites people to do good!ill and thus death #ecomes less fraught, !hich Father .oherty recites to the other characters" As Gene Barnett, !riting in Lan&ord ,ilson, suggests, the play's maGor theme is that >in finding our o!n

profession, !e are a#le to face death in the kno!ledge that life has #een lived !ell"> )n this !ay, #oth the professor and priest must engage in rediscovering their a#ilities to teach in order to make their lives fulfilling" +he >road> that is referred to in the play as first #eing closed and then opened act has #oth a literal and metaphorical meaning" )n his article, >'A#ove +ime' in the /resent7: ,merson's 'Self$Reliance' and Lanford 2ilson's Angels Fall,> Richard 2atten#erg descri#es the road as denoting #oth the route of the characters' lives as !ell as the course of the lives they currently lead, particularly as it refers to their !ork" *o!ever, as Susan *arris Smith, in her article >Angels Fall: An American 4elodrama of Beset 4anhood,> points out, having one's !ork #e a solution to the environmental and political crises that nuclear technologies engender displaces one's commitment to community to that of the self" +he true pro#lem, contends Smith, is that this group >dis#ands for individual realiMation and does not coalesce around the pressing issue that should unite them permanently, namely the threat of nuclear catastrophe"> As other critics have noted a#out Angels Fall, the play lacks any resolution and provides little redemption in relation to the epiphanies the characters' e1perience" 2hat it does offer, notes Berko!itM in Ameri an Drama o& the Twentieth Century, is its a#ility to sho! ordinary people enduring life, not necessarily in a triumphant !ay, #ut in a !ay that is reassuring"

Critical .ssay /
+iano is a Marion Brittain Fellow in the S hool o& Literature- Communi ation- and Culture at .eorgia )nstitute o& Te hnology in Atlanta/ )n this essay- +iano e01lores how strangers who inad(ertently gather at a hur h during an en(ironmental a ident struggle to understand the im1ortan e o& their li(es in relation to their work/ 2ritten in (:;& for the 6e! 2orld Festival of 4iami, Florida, Angels Fall depicts a group of people, some of !hom are strangers, !ho take refuge in a church during an accident at a near#y uranium mine" Set in 6e! 4e1ico, the action takes place over the course of an afternoon and early evening" Both the desert setting and the use of a >sealed$room play>Ia plot device that forces a group of people to interact !ith each otherIincrease their feeling of #eing isolated from the rest of the !orld" )t is only through finding out small #its of information that the characters are a#le to piece together !hat has happened near#y" +his isolation creates #oth a sense of fear in terms of the pro1imity to the disaster as !ell as a sense of timelessness since the characters cannot go any!here and thus their plans are in a#eyance" By disrupting the timeta#les of these characters, 2ilson creates a space for them to e1amine their lives" )n particular, through dialogue and setting, he addresses the need for people to have a specific calling or vocation that gives their lives meaning #eyond material comfort" .espite the characters' differences !hich are most apparent in the dialogues #et!een them as !ell as their chosen professionsIa priest, a professor, a research scientist, an art gallery o!ner, a children's #ook illustrator, and a professional tennis playerIthey are a#le to come together if only momentarily to understand each other and in some small !ay provide comfort during a #rief crisis" By dra!ing together a variety of disparate people during an environmental disaster, 2ilson is a#le to sho! ho! people react differently to confronting the possi#ility of death #y stepping a!ay from their day to day lives to find out !hat is really important to them" +he nuclear accident that propels the characters together forms a perfect #ackdrop for their internal conflicts" Although the accident occurs at some distance to the church, it is present #oth as a topic of conversation among those characters !ho are not familiar !ith each other and as a source of an1iety and anger" 2hile Father .oherty appears to take the accident all in stride, referring to it as another one of these >little emergencies,> 6iles and -ita attempt to deduce from his descriptions of these catastrophes ho! harmful they are" +hroughout the play, references to !hat is occurring at the 0hin Rock mine remind the audience of !hy the

characters are gathered and contri#ute to the internal turmoil that some of the characters are e1periencing" For e1ample, t!o of the characters, 6iles *arris, the art professor, and .on +a#aha, the young half$6avaGo, are at a crossroads in determining !hat to do ne1t in their chosen professions" For 6iles, it is a crisis of faith that erupted !hile revie!ing his life's !ork and realiMing that >to every didactic, authoritative sentence ) had !ritten, ) said: 'Des, of course, and e1actly the opposite could #e as true"'> +his evaluation stirs him to repudiate his life's !ork" .on, on the other hand, must decide #et!een #eing a doctor in the poor, rural area in !hich he gre! up, or !orking as a cancer researcher !ith a famous scientist at Berkley" Because of the accident, these t!o men are forced to interact !ith each other and to reflect on their life's choices" At first, their relationship is antagonistic, !ith #oth men making assumptions a#out each other, particularly .on, !ho accuses 6iles of >!orking in your ivy$ covered ivory to!ers #ack ,ast"> *o!ever, #y the second act, especially after 6iles's hypoglycemic attack in !hich .on helps him recover, the t!o men have come to an understanding that they have more in common than first imaginedIas each is undergoing a professional crisis" Being holed up at the church provides a respite from their daily lives, a temporary sanctuary from the !orld's demands, that allo!s them time to evaluate their choices" As 0hristopher Bigs#y notes in Contem1orary Ameri an +laywrights, >+he intensity of the situation raises the stakes for those !ho find themselves suddenly shaken out of their routines, nudged off the paths they #elieve themselves to have chosen"> Although the meeting does not engender any radical action from either of the men, the accident at the mine facilitates an e1change #et!een them that #rings richer understanding of !hy they do !hat they do" +he theme of making the most of one's life through one's !ork is most prominently displayed #y the parish priest, Father .oherty" Although .oherty's !ork at the mission is not e1actly !hat he himself had hoped for as a parish priest, he has a keen understanding that his purpose in life transcends the rather uninspiring aspects of his Go#" 2hen -ita asks him ho! many parishioners he has in the area, he honestly tells her very fe!" But despite the fe! attendees, he is committed to his task" After descri#ing the services to -ita, he tells her later, >)t's !hat !e live for"> +he sense of vocation that .oherty illuminates is also !hat he advocates most incessantly in his encounters !ith .on, !hom .oherty has kno!n for his !hole life" .on's decision to leave medicine for research infuriates .oherty as he vie!s it as a cop$out" Referring to the inade?uate health care in the area, he says to 6iles late in the play, >+he need here is something you can't comprehend"> For Father .oherty, .on's departure is vie!ed as an escape from a !orld that he longs to forget, one that is full of misery and pain" As .on himself ackno!ledges, in reference to the health pro#lems among the 6avaGo, >+here's no time for one person in a hundred years to #egin to correct a millennium of genetic neglect"> +hroughout the play, the priest #adgers .on a#out !hy he is leaving the area, often getting others to side !ith him" Det #y imposing his o!n vie!s of !hat +a#aha should do, .oherty is not granting him the freedom to make his o!n decision" )n Ameri an Drama o& the Twentieth Century, Gerald Berko!itM notes that it is this realiMation, more than .on's decision to leave medicine and 6iles' decision to leave teaching, that produces the most dramatic moment of the play" *aving listened to their #ar#ed conversations for most of the afternoon, to!ard the end of the play 6iles comes to .on's defense, e1claiming to the priest, >Dou cannot hold po!er over another man< even for his o!n good" " " " )'ve seen it !ith teachers a doMen times" )'ve done it myself"> By intervening into the de#ate #et!een .on and Father .oherty, 6iles e1tends himself out!ard, seeking a common ground, first #y defending the young man !ho appears e1tremely different from him, and second, #y ackno!ledging to the priest that as teachers they are similar in their shortsightedness as !ell as their good intentions" Although the uranium accident does not have any immediate dire effects on the characters gathered, it does provide a setting for several of the characters to respond at least internally to

the understanding that their time on earth is limited and thus making the #est of it through valua#le !ork is urgent and necessary" +his message is conveyed most overtly #y the Bi#lical passage .oherty reads to them, >Seeing then that all these things shall #e dissolved, !hat manner of persons ought ye to #e7> 2hen the helicopter arrives to!ard the end of the play to announce that the road has #een cleared, the characters, e1cept for .oherty, leave the church, re$entering the !orld of temporal time" +hey may not necessarily have undergone a profound change, #ut #ecause their paths have crossed, they may have a deeper understanding of the need to continue on !ith their o!n specific Gourneys" Source0 .oreen /iano, 0ritical ,ssay on Angels Fall, in Drama &or Students, +homson Gale, &''C"

'opics for Further Study

After reading 2ilson's play Angels Fall, read other >sealed$room> plays that confine characters to a particular place such as Fean$/aul Sartre's 2o 30it and 2illiam )nge's Bus Sto1" 0ompare the settings of these playsIa church, a spare room, and a sno!#ound #us stop Inoting the use of a specific setting for its sym#olic effects" )n !hat !ays do these confined settings illustrate a maGor theme found in the plays7 2hat sym#olism is provoked #y the setting7 2hat is the significance of the characters' ina#ility to leave7 +he historical period in !hich Angels Fall takes place is the height of the nuclear arms #uild$ up #et!een the Soviet Hnion and the Hnited States in the (:;'s" Research this decade for other plays, !orks of fiction, and popular films that dramatiMe the effects of a possi#le nuclear catastrophe" )n !hat !ays are they similar to Angels Fall in theme and setting7 )n !hat !ays are they different7 +ennessee 2illiams, #est kno!n for his plays Cat on a Hot Tin Roo&, A Street ar 2amed Desire, and The .lass Menagerie, is one of the most highly acclaimed American dramatists" 0ritics have noted that 2ilson's plays #ear a strong sem#lance to 2illiams's in terms of their poetic lyricism and sentimentality" 0ompare a 2illiams play to Angels Fall, noting !hat critics have said a#out these t!o play!rights, then !rite an argumentative paper that agrees or disagrees !ith these critics' comparisons" Some critics, such as Susan *arris Smith, have noted that the female charactersI-ita, 4aria, and 4arionIin Angels Fall are not very significant characters and do nothing more than provide support and encouragement to the men in the play" 3ther critics such as Richard 2atten#erg suggest the opposite, claiming that the female characters are strong and central to the play's themes" After reading these t!o critics, choose one couple and analyMe their gender roles" )n !hat !ays do you agree !ith either Smith or 2atten#erg's assessment and in !hat !ays do you disagree7

Compare and Contrast

123s0 6uclear accidents, such as the meltdo!ns at +hree 4ile )sland in /ennsylvania in (:K: and at 0herno#yl in the Hkraine in (:;L, a!aken Americans to the dangers of radiation from nuclear energy" Because of these accidents and the #uild$up of nuclear arms, an international grassroots movement forms to protest the use of nuclear energy" ,nvironmental groups, such as Greenpeace and the Sierra 0lu#, pressure governments to rethink their environmental policies" 'oday0 )n the Hnited States, a moratorium is placed on the #uilding of nuclear energy plants" *o!ever, #ecause of its lengthy shelf life, haMardous !aste from uranium mining in the

south!estern Hnited States continues to #e a pro#lem in terms of its handling, transportation, and storage" 123s0 +he 0old 2ar, !hich #egan as a diplomatic standoff #et!een the Hnited States and the Soviet Hnion after 2orld 2ar )), reaches its Menith under Ronald Reagan's H"S" administration from (:;' to (:;;" Billions of dollars are spent #uilding nuclear missiles that are hidden in various parts of the country that can #e deployed at any moment" )n addition, the Reagan administration lo##ies heavily for funding of a defense plan popularly kno!n as >Star 2ars,> !hich is meant to repel incoming nuclear missiles" 'oday0 )n the early (::'s, the Soviet Hnion is dismantled and the nuclear arms race #et!een the Hnited States and the Soviet Hnion comes to an end" *o!ever, #ecause of the enormous trafficking in nuclear !eapons, not only do many developing nations such as 6orth @orea, )ndia, and /akistan ac?uire missiles, they continue to #uild them as a defense system against invasion"

What #o I Read $e-t4

0ontemporary 6ative American !riter Sherman Ale1ie in his novel Reser(ation Blues 8(::L9 e1plores the comple1 historical relationship #et!een indigenous cultures and 0hristianity in the Hnited States !hich is alluded to in Angels Fall through the relationship #et!een Father .oherty and .on +a#aha" .rama scholar 0hristopher Bigs#y, in his Contem1orary Ameri an +laywrights 8(:::9, analyMes the contemporary American theater scene #y focusing on ten play!rights !ho have secured maGor reputations in drama #ut !ho may not have garnered maGor academic interest" *is study includes chapters on 4arsha 6orman, +ony @ushner, 2endy 2asserstein, and Lanford 2ilson" )n 2ew Ameri an Dramatists !"#$44!"5$, Ru#y 0ohn covers a range of contemporary play!rights !ho have influenced American theater" 2hereas the actual coverage of individual !orks is cursory, the #ook, pu#lished in (:;(, provides an important overvie! of drama during an e1perimental and fertile period of American drama" Ro#ert .el +redici's At ,ork in the Fields o& the Bomb 8(:;K9 documents the history of nuclear po!er, the rise of the Hnited States' nuclear arsenal, and the contemporary uses and effects of uranium in communities through photographs of those !ho !ork in the nuclear industry as !ell as those !ho have #een affected #y it" )n Drama sin e !"#$% A Criti al History 8(::L9, 4atthe! RoudanQ discusses over t!o doMen contemporary play!rights, focusing especially on the political and social histories in !hich they !rote" /articular attention is paid to African American and !omen play!rights as !ell as to themes in drama that e1plore myths of re#ellion and resistance, of confrontation and e1piation, and of the American dream" As a contrasting e1ample of a >locked$door> play similar to the format of Angels Fall, Fean$ /aul Sartre's e1istential play 2o 30it, originally !ritten in French in (:BB, depicts a concept of *ell that involves a group of strangers locked in a room !ho are forced to interact !ith each other" 2ilson's a!ard$!inning play Hot l Baltimore 8(:KC9 provides an interesting comparison in setting, theme, and characteriMation to Angels Fall in its sympathetic look at a group of ur#an misfits mostly prostitutes, occupying a hotel that is a#out to #e demolished"

For Further Reading

Barnett, Gene, Lan&ord ,ilson, +!ayne's Hnited States Author Series, 6o" B:', +!ayne /u#lishers, (:;K, pp" (&C$$EE"

Barnett's book is a om1rehensi(e study o& the works o& ,ilson that in ludes detailed analysis o& his early e01erimental works- his ma6or and minor 1lays- work &or o1era and tele(isionommissioned works- and biogra1hi al in&ormation/ Bryer, Fackson R", Lan&ord ,ilson% A Casebook, Garland /u#lishing, (::B"

This anthology is the &irst to om1ile a range o& riti al arti les on the works o& ,ilson/ Besides riti al analyses o& his 1lays- the author also o(ers histori al and so ial as1e ts o& ,ilson's work- inter(iews the 1laywright- and has om1iled an e0tensi(e bibliogra1hy/ Bus#y, 4ark, Lan&ord ,ilson, 2estern 2riters Series, 6o" ;(, Boise State Hniversity /ress, (:;K"

This (ery brie& work o&&ers a su in t o(er(iew o& ,ilson's work that 1rimarily in(estigates the in&luen e o& 1la e on his 1lays/ ,hile 1ro(iding biogra1hi al details that ontribute to his analysis- Busby &o uses on how as1e ts o& the &rontier myth are entral to understanding ma6or themes o& ,ilson's 1lays/ *erman, 2illiam, *nderstanding Contem1orary Ameri an Drama, Hniversity of South 0arolina /ress, (:;K, pp" (:L$$&&:"

Co(ering a number o& ma6or ontem1orary 1laywrights- Herman dedi ates a ha1ter to ,ilson- e01laining not only his ma6or themes but analy7ing his ma6or works/ ,hereas little is mentioned s1e i&i ally about Angels Fall, the chapter outlines a general reception of his !ork #y critics" RyMuk, 4ary, The Cir le Re1ertory Com1any% The First Fi&teen 8ears, )o!a State Hniversity /ress, (:;:"

As a tribute to an im1ortant theatri al institution- Ry7uk's book 1ro(ides an a ount o& the Cir le Re1ertory Com1any theater whi h ,ilson hel1ed to reate and ontinues to be in(ol(ed with sin e !"#"/ Co(ering its &ounders- 1rodu tions- ast ensembles- and its ability to hange with times- Ry7uk's book gi(es an insider's look at the histori al and artisti de(elo1ment o& an inde1endent theater/

Bibliography

Adler, +homas /", >+he Artist in the Garden: +heatre Space and /lace in Lanford 2ilson,> in Lan&ord ,ilson% A Casebook, edited #y Fackson R" Bryer, Garland /u#lishing, (::B, pp" E$$ &'" Ale1ie, Sherman, Reser(ation Blues, 2arner Brothers /u#lishing, (::L" Barnett, Gene, >0hapter Si1teen: Angels Fall,> in Lan&ord ,ilson, +!ayne's Hnited States Author Series, 6o" B:', +!ayne /u#lishers, (:;K, pp" (&C$$EE" Berko!itM, Gerald 4", Ameri an Drama o& the Twentieth Century, Longman /u#lishing, (::&, pp" (;($$;B" Bigs#y, 0hristopher, >0hapter +en: Lanford 2ilson,> in Contem1orary Ameri an +laywrights, 0am#ridge Hniversity /ress, (:::, pp" B(K$$&(" Bus#y, 4ark, Lan&ord ,ilson, 2estern 2riters Series, 6o" ;(, Boise State Hniversity /ress, (:;K" 0ohn, Ru#y, 2ew Ameri an Dramatists !"#$44!"5$, Grove /ress, (:;(" .ean, Anne 4", >0hapter +!o: 0oncerns, /oetry, and .ramatiMed ,1perience,> in Dis o(ery and )n(ention% The *rban +lays o& Lan&ord ,ilson, Farleigh .ickinson Hniversity /ress, (::B, pp" E'$$L'" .el +redici, Ro#ert, At ,ork in the Fields o& the Bomb, *arper0ollins, (:;K" *erman, 2illiam, >.o!n and 3ut in Le#anon and 6e! Dork: Lanford 2ilson,> in *nderstanding Contem1orary Ameri an Drama, Hniversity of South 0arolina /ress, (:;K, pp" (:L$$&&:" Faco#i, 4artin F", >+he 0omic -ision of Lanford 2ilson,> in Studies in the Literary )magination, -ol" &(, 6o" &, Fall (:;;, pp" ((:$$EB" La!son, ." @", >Lanford 2ilson,> in Contem1orary .ay Ameri an +oets and +laywrights% An A44to449 .uide, edited #y ,mmanuel S" 6elson, Green!ood /ress, &''E, pp" BC($$L'" RoudanQ, 4atthe!, Drama sin e !"#$% A Criti al History, +!ayne's 0ritical *istory of American .rama Series, +!ayne /u#lishers, (::L, pp" :$$&&, (C($$CB" RyMuk, 4ary, The Cir le Re1ertory Com1any% The First Fi&teen 8ears, )o!a State Hniversity /ress, (:;:" Sartre, Fean$/aul, 2o 30it and :ther +lays, -intage Books, (:;:" Smith, Susan *arris, >Angels Fall: An American 4elodrama of Beset 4anhood,> in Lan&ord ,ilson% A Casebook, edited #y Fackson R" Bryer, Garland /u#lishing, (::B, pp" ('E$$(;" 2atten#erg, Richard, >'A#ove +ime' in the /resent7: ,merson's 'Self$Reliance' and Lanford 2ilson's Angels Fall,> in Lan&ord ,ilson% A Casebook, edited #y Fackson R" Bryer, Garland /u#lishing, (::B, pp" ;C$$('(" 2illiams, /hilip 4iddleton, A Com&ortable House% Lan&ord ,ilson- Marshall ,/ Mason- and

the Cir le Re1ertory Theatre, 4cFarland, (::E" 2ilson, Lanford, Angels Fall, *ill 5 2ang, (:;E"