Reviews

DeLillo ( The Names, White Noise) is a well known novelist with a loyal following; this is his first play. As one would expect, it is a fractured view of reality, a black comedy. For those who thought absurdism was finished as a stage language, here it is, full blown, still able to puzzle, shock, and amuse. Set in a hospital, the play rapidly destroys the distinctions between patients and staff until it is impossible to tell who is ill and who is not. Our fears of hospitals, death, and insanity are allowed full reign. Language breaks down, and finally, the perception of reality dissolves into questions about personal identity and the possibility of meaningful communication. This is not for everyone, but it plays well. A new turn in DeLillo's career. Thomas E. Luddy, Salem State Coll., Mass.