This script definitely falls into the category of melodrama and we weren’t big fans of it. However, we recognize that it reflects the very circumscribed lives women were experiencing in the 1930s. There was certainly some pathos in the relationship between Delia and Charlotte and there are a few poignant speeches from these two characters.

This is ER for the 1930s! Lots of drama behind the scenes of saving lives. We found there were too many characters in this play to truly connect with the action on a visceral level but there were some affecting scenes and the ending is particularly poignant.

Our group really enjoyed this play. Despite all the political speak we found it quite engaging and downright suspenseful! The script was very well written, particularly some of the monologues. It’s incredible how so little has changed in politics since the ’30s!

While there were some strong moments in this script, for the most part, our readers found it rather boring. Nothing seemed to actually happen and many of the participants were yawning throughout the session. For our little group, it may have been the least favourite script of all our Pulitzer reads so far.

February 17, 2021

This play had A LOT of characters and it was sometimes hard to keep track of which roles each of us was reading. So, that made it more challenging to actually get into the play and really identify with our characters. However, the slice of life depiction of 1920s NYC was interesting and certainly illustrative of the prejudices and struggles of that time.

We had good fun with this one. Lots of roles to read so we all got a chance to ham it up with the larger than life characters though it is disheartening to see that the political landscape hasn’t changed much since the early ’30s. The satire still holds up! It seems that very few comedies/musicals win the Pulitzer so this was a refreshing change of pace from the dramas we have been reading.

November 11, 2020

 It’s a beast in terms of cast size (lots of confusing part-sharing) and it’s heavily plotted in the final act, but the “scene” it paints of the “street”—the stoop of a NYC tenement in the 1930s (?)—is beautifully rendered. The characters are diverse, many immigrants, many professions, well-drawn people. The dialog feels naturalistic, even a century later.

December 13, 2020

Who doesn’t need Gershwin during a pandemic? Again, another play that is politically and socially relevant to our current time. I laughed a lot during the reading and we did at times attempt to break into song. I recommend this play not only for its relevance for the time it was written, we did a bit of a history lesson while reading, but how it relates today. Thanks again Cold Reads.

December 13, 2020

We’ve been reading the Pulitzers from the beginning. This was the most fun so far. We laughed and laughed. At the end we were wondering what the point was, but decided the point might have just been to make people laugh during a difficult patch in time. The play is a satire on presidential politics, and seemed eerily relevant in today’s climate. Once again, we’re so grateful Cold Reads made the script available.

January 10, 2021

I wanted something light and airy and did not get that. Again, another play that hits current events on the head. There is even a character called “Trumper”. This play looks at the inner workings of legislation. Some of the quotes were chilling. I enjoyed this play very much and am very glad we read it together.