This book critically discusses the works of two seemingly different and unconnected playwrights, Lillian Hellman and August Wilson. By analyzing the black presence in Hellman and its counterpart white presence in Wilson, it exposes interracial boundaries and illuminates the architecture of the new American citizen through the examination of stereotypes, the revelation of sources of ongoing racial tension, and suggested solutions. Their dramas rewrite history to reflect their political activism and espouse a shared value system that demands responsible action, equitable reward, and recognition of women and African Americans as equally valuable citizens of American society.

The Author: An internationally acclaimed theatre director and founding Artistic Director of Seattle’s Intiman Theatre, Margaret Booker has received numerous awards for her work including Fulbright, Ford, and Rockefeller fellowships and recognition as a Woman of Achievement. She earned her Ph.D. in drama from Stanford University in Stanford, California, and assisted Ingmar Bergman at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, Sweden. She co-authored Chekhov’s Major Plays with Karl Kramer, directed August Wilson’s Fences at the Beijing People’s Art Theatre, and has taught at Stanford University and the University of California, Santa Cruz.