Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris

Clybourne Park left more questions than answers. In terms of action, it is considerable lacking. The first act merely consists of a lively discussion in the house in 1959. The second act consists of a meeting in that same house in 1959. A lot is packed into those two acts but when looked at as a whole, not much really happens. In a play like this, with little action, the emphasis is placed on the characters and dialogue. The dialogue in this play is crucial, but what is not said may be even more important. The racial issues introduced in the first act remain throughout the entire play but as it progresses, other minorities are brought under fire. By the end of the play nearly every group in society has been attacked in some way or another. By criticizing everyone, Norris unites his audience.

Much of the language in the play is crude and the vulgar jokes play a key role. While many people were shocked and appalled at some of the slurs that were lobbed, they were truly necessary to the play. They were not said to get a laugh or simply to shock for the sake of  the impact it will have. The jokes were supposed to make the audience feel a little uncomfortable. To allow them to have an initial reaction and then force them to question their own values afterwards. Why did you laugh at that joke? On some level do you think it is true or acceptable? Norris tries to make the audience think about how racial issues pertain to them personally, not about racism in general or in the 1950s or how it has changed. For the most part, he was successful in turning the critical lens on his audience and forcing them to question themselves.