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    Wit: A Play
    Wit: A Play
    Wit: A Play
    Ebook92 pages55 minutes

    Wit: A Play

    By Margaret Edson

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Winner of the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Lucille Lortel Award, and the Oppenheimer Award

    Margaret Edson's powerfully imagined Pulitzer Prize–winning play examines what makes life worth living through her exploration of one of existence's unifying experiences—mortality—while she also probes the vital importance of human relationships. What we as her audience take away from this remarkable drama is a keener sense that, while death is real and unavoidable, our lives are ours to cherish or throw away—a lesson that can be both uplifting and redemptive. As the playwright herself puts it, "The play is not about doctors or even about cancer. It's about kindness, but it shows arrogance. It's about compassion, but it shows insensitivity."

    In Wit, Edson delves into timeless questions with no final answers: How should we live our lives knowing that we will die? Is the way we live our lives and interact with others more important than what we achieve materially, professionally, or intellectually? How does language figure into our lives? Can science and art help us conquer death, or our fear of it? What will seem most important to each of us about life as that life comes to an end?

    The immediacy of the presentation, and the clarity and elegance of Edson's writing, make this sophisticated, multilayered play accessible to almost any interested reader.

    As the play begins, Vivian Bearing, a renowned professor of English who has
    spent years studying and teaching the intricate, difficult Holy Sonnets of the
    seventeenth-century poet John Donne, is diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer. Confident of her ability to stay in control of events, she brings to her illness the same intensely rational and painstakingly methodical approach that has guided her stellar academic career. But as her disease and its excruciatingly painful treatment inexorably progress, she begins to question the single-minded values and standards that have always directed her, finally coming to understand the aspects of life that make it truly worth living.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateMay 20, 2014
    ISBN9781466871830
    Wit: A Play
    Author

    Margaret Edson

    Margaret Edson was born in Washington, D.C. in 1961. She has degrees in history and literature. She wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Wit in 1991, after a period spent working as a clerk in the oncology/AIDS department of a Washington hospital in 1985. Edson now lives in Atlanta, where she teaches kindergarten.

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    Reviews for Wit

    4.5/5

    237 ratings17 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      A play about a cancer victim and her experiences with treatment as she moves through the medical system. Although it appears to be an indictment of the medical system, and of runaway intellectualism in general, for many of us it can be a celebration of what is possible. While the doctors are cold and unfeeling, they are still doing their best to fight death; there is a kind hearted nurse who assumes the role of caretaker. It could lead us to ask the question about which is more important: a doctor that holds our hand and does nothing to fix us or to teach others the skills; or a doctor that is quite competent, even if a bit cold. I don't think the play answers this question, though the preference of the author comes through. Instead, I think there is a lot of room to disagree with the author, and make our own decisions. She leaves enough up in the air to not shove a set answer down your throat. In fact, one of the kindest acts in the entire show was performed by a woman who was herself an intellectual, hard headed and non-compromising. This shows that there is room for both intellectualism and emotion. A good philosophical exploration of a serious question.
    • 5/5
      "Nothing but a breath--a comma--separates life from life everlasting." This remark by E. M. Ashford, D. Phil. to her student, a young Vivian Bearing, is an early indication in this remarkable play that the story of Vivian's battle with cancer is going to be more than just one of doctors, medicine, sickness, and emotion. It will be a battle of wits and wit, mind and matter, the body and soul of Vivian against the destiny that nature has given her. Like all great plays, the reader is presented with questions, conundrums, and perhaps paradoxes if you will; presented in this case as they involve life and, ultimately, death. But does not all living, whether displayed on stage or lived as one's own life, ultimately involve the question of death?This play is almost a one woman show as Vivian Bearing, Ph. D., professor of literature specializing in the Holy Sonnets of John Donne, is on stage for the whole play. She is surrounded (I hesitate to say supported) by her oncologist and his chief clinician; but she is supported by the primary nurse who develops a bond with her that is unique in the play, for Vivian is alone in this world and must depend on her mind as she experiences "aggressive" cancer treatment. She eventually receives support from her nurse and a touching visit from her former professor and mentor.Among the questions raised by the play is one that contrasts the medical doctors with Vivian herself as they treat the cancer in a way that mirrors the methods used by Vivian to analyze and dissect the poetry of John Donne. Is it appropriate to treat the patient as a science project, a body that will provide evidence for some future paper? Is she no different than a work of literature? "What a piece of work is a man!" as Hamlet says, but in Wit we see the wonder, but not the humanity. The clinician, who has a vast knowledge of medicine, must refer to his notes to remind himself that his patient is a human being who deserves at least a minimal amount of polite concern. Vivian bears his lack of feeling with her own brittle stoicism. She consoles herself with the thought that "they always . . . want to know more things." But at the same time she buries her true emotions until she is too ill to respond in a way that is able to demonstrate any strength or depth. She has an epiphany when, upon completion of chemotherapy, she reflects: "I have broken the record. I have become something of a celebrity. Kelekian and Jason are simply delighted. I think they foresee celebrity status for themselves upon the appearance of the journal article they will no doubt write about me." But she immediately realizes that, "The article will not be about me, it will be about my ovaries." She goes on to relish the relief that returning to her hospital room will be, even as the play proceeds and her room slowly begins to resemble the inside of a coffin.This is a play filled with literary wit. It plays on the difference and the similarity of words and life. At one point Vivian thinks, "my only defense is the acquisition of vocabulary". She is learning and reflecting even as she is slowly losing the battle with cancer. Should we live our lives like Vivian, continually learning and thinking and growing, even as humans we all move closer to our own personal appointments with mortality? This reader says yes! Even so, this play reminds us that the road will be difficult, but that there are ways to face one's destiny that may not be known today. It is the ability to deal with this unknown and the possibilities of tomorrow that make the battle worth engaging and our lives worth living.
    • 4/5
      About a 50-year old literature professor dying of cancer. Entwines the Holy Sonnets poetry of John Donne with her own journey, grappling with the complexity of life and death. She lived chasing knowledge, perfection, and hard work...only to find in death that it was humanity, touch, and kindness that she needed.
    • 5/5
      Fabulous. Period.
    • 4/5
      Vivian Bearing, an English literature professor specialising in John Donne, undergoes horrific chemo before dying of her stage 4 ovarian cancer in this harrowing play.
    • 5/5
      It's been awhile since a book has made me cry. And, in the end, this one did. Wit is both heart wrenching and inspirational. The central character--Vivian--is diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer and undergoes 8 rounds of an experimental treatment at their maximum dosage. Through the course of Vivian's diagnosis and treatment, we see reflections of her life as a Professor of Poetry specializing in the Holy Sonnets of John Donne.

      Wit is one of those texts that stops you in your tracks with its raw exploration of Vivian's coming to terms with her cancer and the fact that she is terminal. The focus of the play, however, isn't on Vivian's impending death but rather the focus is on an inspirational exploration of the human spirit as she reflects on her life and the choices she made with both acerbity and a dry humor.
    • 4/5
      A play about a cancer victim and her experiences with treatment as she moves through the medical system. Although it appears to be an indictment of the medical system, and of runaway intellectualism in general, for many of us it can be a celebration of what is possible. While the doctors are cold and unfeeling, they are still doing their best to fight death; there is a kind hearted nurse who assumes the role of caretaker. It could lead us to ask the question about which is more important: a doctor that holds our hand and does nothing to fix us or to teach others the skills; or a doctor that is quite competent, even if a bit cold. I don't think the play answers this question, though the preference of the author comes through. Instead, I think there is a lot of room to disagree with the author, and make our own decisions. She leaves enough up in the air to not shove a set answer down your throat. In fact, one of the kindest acts in the entire show was performed by a woman who was herself an intellectual, hard headed and non-compromising. This shows that there is room for both intellectualism and emotion. A good philosophical exploration of a serious question.
    • 4/5
      Margaret Edson’s Wit is an earnest look at how terminal illness affects one’s perspective. Dr. Vivian Bearing, a respected professor and scholar of the works of John Donne, is diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer and has to undergo intense chemotherapy if there is to be any recovery. Her doctor is of course very clinical in his treatment of her, and his protégé is a former student (making for very awkward encounters). During the course of her treatment, Bearing gets sicker and more introspective. The play focuses on Bearing’s assessment of her life and learning as she deals with her imminent death.Edson’s integration of Donne’s metaphysical poetics is interesting as it transforms the audience from simple spectators to students in Bearing’s classroom. We get a lesson in literature as she receives a lesson in life. Bearing’s life has been in the pursuit of learning, truth, and wisdom, but not companionship, so the only people left to guide her through the treatment are the staff of the hospital. At the risk of engaging in too much wordplay, Bearing’s life has too much bearing and not enough distraction. The vignettes we get of her past show that she was offered the choice to expand her horizons beyond literature but stuck with her studies. In the end, the good professor lets a bit of the outside world in as the cancer takes over.Edson’s writing is interesting in that it breaks a lot of supposed rules about play-writing. Bearing is constantly breaking the fourth wall, there is overlapping dialogue, and there are no real scene or act breaks. That being said, it is a engaging piece of modern literature and a heck of a debut play. Wit still remains Edson’s only written work and she seems content in keeping it that way. I don’t have a lot of other plays sitting around the house to compare it to, but I liked it. It probably works a bit better on stage, but it wasn’t heavy-handed or hokey. All in all, a decent read.
    • 5/5
      Holy Cr@p.This is the first thing she ever wrote. Yikes. In fact, it's the only thing she's ever written except for one other play a few years ago that hasn't ever been staged.She says in an interview with Jim Lehrer I found on the PBS website that she just really wanted to write a play. And this is what came out.
    • 5/5
      This play is almost perfect in its ability to discuss life in the physical, emotional, and psychological aspects, The main character, Vivian Bearing is a very exacting professor of 17th Century Poetry concentrating on the John Donne's Holy Sonnets. At the beginning of play she is diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer (there is no stage 5). The only treatment is a research protocol of a combination of drugs over 8 months. The drugs have "pernicious" side effects and she is warned she will have to be tough to take the full course. Well, Vivian Bearing is nothing if not tough. She has chosen as her life's work the study of a poet who can "tie your brain in knots" while trying to understand him. She has been ruthless in the use of her considerable wit in trying to inculcate the ability for analysis and the precision of language in her students. Empathy has not been one of her attributes, but now as she is dying, she wishes her doctors could show some for her. Her primary nurse, Susie Monahan, is both competent and empathetic and becomes her lifeline in the hospital as she is regarded by the research doctors to be just a fascinating experiment.Her ex student, Jason, the research fellow sums up her study of Donne. He says Donne was suffering from "Salvation Anxiety... You know you're a sinner. And there's this promise of salvation, the whole religious thing...It just doesn't stand up to scrutiny. But you can't face life without it... So you write these screwed up sonnets. Everything is brilliantly convoluted. Really tricky stuff...The puzzle takes over. You're not even trying to solve it anymore." Of course Vivian can't solve her life, or death, any more than anyone less brilliant than she can. She just has to get on with doing it.
    • 5/5
      If you can notice the comparisons and make the connections in this one, you'll love the writer for it and will really appreciate the story. A very smart, clever piece.
    • 5/5
      I saw this play in New York. It's stunning. The movie misses the critical ending--where the lights go out and then a spot comes up on the main character, standing naked and unashamed and lifting her hands toward heaven--quite possibly the most powerful icon of resurrection I have ever seen. The movie's ending with a photo and voiceover betrays the whole point--a memorial of someone who's dead, rather than a vision of someone who lives again. It goes on my list of things to read when all else in life seems to fail--this is too true for its message not to be true, too.
    • 4/5
      The main character, Vivian, is a professor of English, who has always prided herself on her intellect at the expense of everything else - indeed, she's taken pains to strip away any hint of sentimentality from her character. Now, though, she is in the last stages of an aggressive cancer, and her intellectual armoury is not providing the solace that she needs. One of the remarkable things about the play is that it manages not to be either sentimental or devastatingly sad, mainly through Vivian's personality, which remains prickly and proud - you can't pity her, despite her awful situation. There's a lot packed into the play's 85 pages and I think its impact will grow the more I think about it.
    • 4/5
      This play was recommended to me by a friend from college because Margaret Edson graduated from our school (Smith College). I read it and enjoyed it, and watched the movie version (with Emma Thompson in the main role...she was amazing) and enjoyed that as well, and then was absolutely thrilled when I heard that Margaret Edson was going to be speaking at commencement at our school. She is a wonderful speaker and an awesome playwright (obviously, as she won a Pulitzer for this play), and if she weren't such an incredibly dedicated kindergarten teacher, I'm sure she would be as prolific as I wish she were. This play is terribly sad, but beautifully written and filled with references to the poetry of John Donne.
    • 5/5
      Love everything about it. Read the play, see a production, watch the movie. Can be appreciated by readers of all levels and from all perspectives: those affected by cancer or other life threatening illness, academics, poets, the medical profession, those who examine their own lives.
    • 5/5
      I first watched the film of this play, with Emma Thompson, one of my favorite actresses. Then I found a copy of the script while attempting to straighten out my director's crowded shelves. This play has numerous wonderful monologues that I have used in various auditions/seminars, and includes some wonderful poetry by John Donne. I should very much like to play Dr. Vivian Bearing someday.
    • 5/5
      A wonderful play. I can't say more than that.

    Book preview

    Wit - Margaret Edson

    The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the author’s copyright, please notify the publisher at: us.macmillanusa.com/piracy.

    Contents

    Title Page

    Copyright Notice

    Acknowledgments

    Characters

    Notes

    Begin Reading

    Critical Acclaim for W;t

    About the Author

    Copyright

    This text is based on the production of Wit that opened at the Union Square Theatre, New York City, on January 7, 1999. It was produced by MCC Theater, Long Wharf Theatre, and Daryl Roth, with Stanley Shopkorn, Robert G. Bartner, and Stanley Kaufelt; associate producer, Lorie Cowen Levy. General management by Roy Gabay. The production was directed by Derek Anson Jones. The set was designed by Myung Hee Cho; the costume design was by Ilona Somogyi; the lighting design was by Michael Chybowski; the music and sound design were by David Van Tieghem; the wigs were by Paul Huntley. The production manager was Kai Brothers. The production stage manager was Katherine Lee Boyer. The casting was by Bernard Telsey Casting.

    The cast was as follows:

    VIVIAN BEARING, PH.D.

    Kathleen Chalfant

    HARVEY KELEKIAN, M.D./MR. BEARING

    Walter Charles

    JASON POSNER, M.D.

    Alec Phoenix

    SUSIE MONAHAN, R.N., B.S.N.

    Paula Pizzi

    E. M. ASHFORD, D.PHIL.

    Helen Stenborg

    LAB TECHNICIANS/STUDENTS/RESIDENTS

    Brian J. Carter, Daniel Sarnelli, Alli Steinberg, Lisa Tharps

    The production opened originally at the Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, Connecticut, on October 31, 1997. Doug Hughes, artistic director; Michael Ross, managing director.

    It opened in New York at MCC Theater, September 17, 1998. Robert LuPone and Bernard Telsey, executive directors; William Cantler, associate director.

    Wit was first performed at the South Coast Repertory Theater in Costa Mesa, California, on January 24, 1995. It was produced by South Coast Repertory, David Emmes, producing artistic director, and Martin Benson, artistic director. The production was directed by Martin Benson. The set was designed by Cliff Faulkner; the costume design was by Kay Peebles; the lighting design was by Paulie Jenkins; the music and sound design were by Michael Roth. The production manager was Michael Mora. The stage manager was Randall K. Lum.

    The cast was as follows:

    VIVIAN BEARING, PH.D.

    Megan Cole

    HARVEY KELEKIAN, M.D./MR. BEARING

    Richard Doyle

    JASON POSNER, M.D.

    Brian Drillinger

    SUSIE MONAHAN, R.N., B.S.N.

    Mary Kay Wulf

    E. M. ASHFORD, D.PHIL.

    Patricia Fraser

    LAB TECHNICIANS/STUDENTS/RESIDENTS

    Christopher DuVal, Kyle Jones, Stacy L. Porter

    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

    Thanks to the cast that read the first draft of Wit in July 1991: Joyce Edson, Derek Anson Jones, Michael Edson, Leslie Spitz-Edson, and Calvin Gidney. Thanks to Mary and Steve Ales and the late Ruth Mortimer for reading the next draft. Thanks to Jerry Patch, Martin Benson, and my friends at South Coast Repertory. Thanks to Doug Hughes and my friends at Long Wharf Theatre, and Bernard Telsey and my friends at MCC. Thanks to Carolyn French and my friends at the Fifi Oscard Agency. Thanks to Linda Merrill for hearing every word.

    CHARACTERS

    VIVIAN BEARING, PH.D.

    50; professor of seventeenth-century poetry at the university

    HARVEY KELEKIAN, M.D.

    50; chief of medical oncology, University Hospital

    JASON POSNER, M.D.

    28; clinical fellow, Medical Oncology Branch

    SUSIE MONAHAN, R.N., B.S.N.

    28; primary nurse, Cancer Inpatient Unit

    E. M. ASHFORD, D.PHIL.

    80; professor emerita of English literature

    MR. BEARING

    Vivian’s father

    LAB TECHNICIANS

    CLINICAL FELLOWS

    STUDENTS

    CODE TEAM

    The play may be performed with a cast of nine: the four TECHNICIANS, FELLOWS, STUDENTS, and CODE TEAM MEMBERS should double; DR. KELEKIAN and MR. BEARING should double.

    NOTES

    Most of the action, but not all, takes place in a room of the University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center. The stage is empty, and furniture is rolled on and off by the technicians.

    Jason and Kelekian wear lab coats, but each has a different shirt and tie every time he enters. Susie wears white jeans, white sneakers, and a different blouse each entrance.

    Scenes are indicated by a line

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