Topdog/Underdogis a play by American playwrightSuzan-Lori Parkswhich premiered in 2001 off-Broadway in New York City. The next year it opened on Broadway, at theAmbassador Theatre,where it played for several months. In 2002, Parks received thePulitzer Prize for Dramaand theOuter Critics Circle Awardfor the play; it received other awards for the director and cast. In 2023, it won theTony Award for Best Revival of a Play.
| Topdog/Underdog | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Suzan-Lori Parks |
| Date premiered | July 26, 2001 |
| Place premiered | The Public Theater |
| Original language | English |
Plot
editThe play chronicles the adult lives of two African-American brothers as they cope with poverty, racism, work, women, and their troubled upbringings. Lincoln lives with Booth, his younger brother, after being thrown out by his wife. Booth reminds Lincoln that his presence was meant to be a temporary arrangement. But Lincoln, who works at an arcade as a whitefaceAbraham Lincolnimpersonator, is their sole source of income.
While the work is honest, both brothers find it humiliating. Booth repeatedly attempts to persuade Lincoln to return to running games ofthree-card monte.Lincoln had sworn off the hustle after one of his crew had been shot dead, believing he would be next. Idolizing his brother's former glory, Booth aspires to become a three-card montecard sharp,frequently practicing the routine in his apartment, although his act is awkward; his own talent lies inshoplifting.
Booth is preoccupied with a woman named Grace whom he tries to impress with shoplifted luxuries. He boasts to his brother about their relationship, but in truth she spurns his advances. Lincoln reveals that his wife Cookie had misread his depression as lack of interest in her, before she threw him out and slept with Booth. In the present, Lincoln is about to be laid off, replaced at his job by a wax model. Booth suggests that Lincoln save his job by vividly acting out Abraham Lincoln's death throes after the customers shoot him with the provided blank—an idea they rehearse before abandoning.
The brothers reflect on their past together: Their parents deserted them as teenagers. Each parent, before leaving with a new lover, left one brother $500 in cash, which they refer to as their "inheritance". Lincoln spent his; Booth saved and hid his, never even opening the stocking that held it.
After losing his job at the arcade, Lincoln returns to three-card monte the next day and comes home exuberant. Meanwhile, Booth boasts that Grace has proposed marriage to him. Lincoln suggests that Booth find employment in order to keep Grace, calling his card shark abilities "double left-handed." Insulted, Booth challenges him to a game of three-card monte. Lincoln leads him to believe that he can win, inducing Booth to wager his $500 inheritance on the game before beating him. Laughing, Lincoln explains that the conceit behind three-card monte is that the dealer always decides when he wins. Over Booth's protests, he tries to open the stocking containing the inheritance. An agitated Booth reveals that he had shot Grace. Lincoln attempts to return the inheritance, but Booth dares him to open it instead.
As Lincoln cuts the stocking, Booth brings a gun to Lincoln's neck and shoots him. Booth rants at his brother's corpse for mocking him and stealing his inheritance, before crumpling and sobbing over the dead body.
Production history
editTopdog/Underdogopenedoff-Broadwayat thePublic Theateron July 26, 2001, and closed on September 2, 2001. Directed byGeorge C. Wolfe,the play starredDon Cheadle(as Booth) andJeffrey Wright(as Lincoln).[1][2]The play opened onBroadwayat theAmbassador Theatreon April 7, 2002, and closed on August 11, 2002. Cheadle was replaced byMos Def;directed by George C. Wolfe.[1]The play transferred to London at theRoyal Court Theatrein 2003, with the same Broadway cast, and directed by Wolfe.[1]
In September 2012,Topdog/Underdogwas produced by the Two River Theater Company inRed Bank, New Jersey.[3]
A 2011 production at theShaw Festivalin Canada starredKevin Hanchard(as Booth) andNigel Shawn Williams(as Lincoln).[4]This production had a second run at The Theatre Centre inTorontolater in the same year throughObsidian Theatre Company.[5]Hanchard and Williams were both nominated forOutstanding Performance by a Male in a Principal Role – Playat the 2012Dora Mavor Moore Awards;Williams won the award.[6]DirectorPhilip Akinalso won the Dora forOutstanding Direction of a Play/Musical.
In 2022, the play was revived on Broadway 20 years after its initial debut, directed byKenny Leonand starringCorey Hawkins(as Lincoln) andYahya Abdul-Mateen II(as Booth).[7][8]It ran at theGolden Theatre,previewing on September 27, 2022, officially opening on October 20, 2022, and closing on January 15, 2023. The production won theTony Award for Best Revival of a Play.[9]
Background
editParks commented on the play: "I think the meaning of the play isn’t just confined to a man's experience... I think it's about what it means to be family and, in the biggest sense, the family of man, what it means to be connected with somebody else." She noted that the play speaks to "who the world thinks you’re going to be, and how you struggle with that."[10]
Reception
editCriticBen BrantleyofThe New York Timeswrote:
The play, first produced downtown at the Joseph Papp Public Theater last year, vibrates with the clamor of big ideas, audaciously and exuberantly expressed. LikeInvisible ManRalph Ellison's landmark novel of 1952,Topdog/Underdogconsiders nothing less than the existential traps of being African-American and male in the United States, the masks that wear the men as well as vice versa. But don't think for a second that Ms. Parks is delivering a lecture or reciting a ponderous poem. Under the bravura direction ofGeorge C. Wolfe,a man who understands that showmanship and intellectual substance are not mutually exclusive, 'Topdog/Underdog' is a deeply theatrical experience.[11]
The play won the 2002Pulitzer Prize for Drama.The Pulitzer committee wrote of the play:
"A darkly comic fable of brotherly love and family identity,Topdog/Underdogtells the story of Lincoln and Booth, two brothers whose names, given to them as a joke, foretell a lifetime of sibling rivalry and resentment. Haunted by their past, the brothers are forced to confront the shattering reality of their future. "[12]
Topdog/Underdogtopped a 2018 list byThe New York Timesof the greatest American plays of the past 25 years.[13]Andy Propst ofTime Outranked it the 24th greatest play ever written.[14]
Album
editMCAreleased an album of music associated with Topdog/Underdog in 2002. The tracklist features original works by Mos Def and Jeffrey Wright, as well as Muddy Waters (whose band Parks's husbandPaul Oscherplayed harmonica in) and other blues musicians.[15]
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "3 Card" | Mos Def | 2:55 |
| 2. | "Face of the Deep" | Wayne Shorter | 5:29 |
| 3. | "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag, Pt. 1" | James Brown | 2:07 |
| 4. | "Change the Game" | Memphis Bleek,Jay-Z,Beanie Sigel& Static | 3:10 |
| 5. | "Grinnin' in Your Face" | Son House | 2:07 |
| 6. | "Got My Mojo Workin'" | Muddy Waters | 2:51 |
| 7. | "Bring Your Whole Crew" | DMX | 3:42 |
| 8. | "Poor Boy" | Howlin' Wolf | 2:34 |
| 9. | "Hell Hound on My Trail" | Robert Johnson | 2:36 |
| 10. | "Boom Boom" | John Lee Hooker | 2:40 |
| 11. | "Let My Niggas Live" | Wu-Tang Clan&Nas | 3:51 |
| 12. | "Lincoln's Blues" | Jeffrey Wright | 1:42 |
| Total length: | 35:44 | ||
Awards and nominations
edit- 2002Pulitzer Prize for Drama[16]
- 2002Outer Critics Circle Award,Outstanding Director of a Play (Wolfe)
- 2001-2002Obie Award,Performance (Wright) and Direction (Wolfe) (winners)
- 2001-2002Outer Critics Circle Award,Outstanding John Glassner Award, Playwriting, Parks (winner)
- 2001-2002 Outer Critics Circle Award, Outstanding Special Achievement Award. Wright (winner)
- 2001-2002 Outer Critics Circle Award, Outstanding Special Achievement Award, Mos Def (winner)
- 2002 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Actor, Jeffrey Wright (nominee)
- 2002Drama Desk Award,Outstanding Play (nominee)
- 2002 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Actor, Jeffrey Wright (nominee)
- 2002Tony Award,Best Play (nominee)
- 2002 Tony Award, Best Actor in Play (Wright) (nominee)
2022 Broadway revival
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Won | |
| Best Leading Actor in a Play | Yahya Abdul-Mateen II | Nominated | ||
| Corey Hawkins | Nominated | |||
| Drama League Awards[17] | Distinguished Performance Award | Yahya Abdul-Mateen II | Nominated | |
| Corey Hawkins | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Revival of a Play | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Direction of a Play | Kenny Leon | Nominated | ||
| Outer Critics Circle Awards[18] | Best Revival of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Won | ||
| Best Director of a Play | Kenny Leon | Nominated | ||
| Best Lead Performer in a Broadway Play | Corey Hawkins | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design (Play or Musical) | Dede Ayite | Nominated | ||
| Theatre World Award[19] | Yahya Abdul-Mateen II | Honoree | ||
References
edit- ^abcSommer, Elyse; Loveridge, Lizzie; and Gutman, Les."Togdog/UnderdogReviews "curtainup, April 12, 2002
- ^Topdog/Underdog,lortel.org, accessed May 19, 2015
- ^Gates, Anita."Deception and Betrayal, 'All in the Family'",New York Times,23 September 2012.
- ^"Topdog/Underdog: Shaw scores with an intriguing, edgy drama".The Globe and Mail,August 8, 2011.
- ^"Theatre Review: Topdog/Underdog".NOW,December 1, 2011.
- ^"33rd Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards".Theatromania,June 25, 2012.
- ^Evans, Greg (2022-06-14)."'Topdog/Underdog' Returning To Broadway With Corey Hawkins & Yahya Abdul-Mateen II ".Deadline.Retrieved2022-09-14.
- ^"Topdog/Underdog - Coming to Broadway".Topdog|Underdog.Retrieved2022-09-14.
- ^Green, Jesse (2022-10-21)."Review: In 'Topdog/Underdog,' Staying Alive Is the Ultimate Hustle".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2022-12-12.
- ^Reich, Ronni."'Topdog/Underdog': A playwright interpreting her own words",NJ,September 7, 2012
- ^Brantley, Ben."Not to Worry, Mr. Lincoln, It's Just A Con Game."The New York Times,April 8, 2002.
- ^"Suzan-Lori Parks",Pulitzer Prize,official website; retrieved January 14, 2017
- ^"The Great Work Continues: The 25 Best American Plays Since 'Angels in America'".The New York Times.2018-05-31.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2020-04-17.
- ^Propst, Andy (2020-03-11)."50 Best Plays of All Time: Comedies, Tragedies and Dramas Ranked".Time Out New York.Retrieved2020-06-08.
- ^"Topdog & Underdog - Original Broadway Cast | Songs, Reviews, Credits".AllMusic.Retrieved2019-04-08.
- ^"Pulitzer Prize, Drama, 2002"pulitzer.org, accessed May 19, 2015
- ^Eckmann, Sam (2023-04-25)."Drama League Award nominations: 47 performers compete for Distinguished Performance".GoldDerby.Retrieved2023-05-09.
- ^Eckmann, Sam (2023-04-26)."Outer Critics Circle nominations: 'New York, New York' leads with 12, 'Leopoldstadt' has 6".GoldDerby.Retrieved2023-05-09.
- ^"Funny Girl Star Julie Benko Among 2023 Theatre World Award Winners".2023-05-01.Retrieved2023-05-09.
- Parks, Suzan-Lori (2004).Topdog/Underdog.New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc. p. 117 pp.ISBN0-8222-1983-2.Retrieved2008-08-07.
