At its core is Buffalo Bill Cody and his Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. The play examines the contradictions of Cody's life and his work with Native Americans. Alvin Klein, writing in The New York Times, wrote that the play intended "...to open up the real savage story of how the West was won, to demythologize that old game of cowboys and Indians..."[1]
Michael Patterson, professor of Theater at De Montfort University, Leicester), wrote in The Oxford Guide to Plays that "Kopit turned to a more serious political investigation of the white settlers' treatment of Native Americans... Kopit's play was one of the first major pieces to confront the issue and to relate it to continuing genocide in South-East Asia."[11]
Otis L. Guernsey wrote in Curtain Times: The New York Theatre, 1965-1987 that "the best script of the 1969-70 bests, in our opinion, was Indians, about the opening of the American West... It is destined, certainly, for an illustrious career...where it will enhance the reputation of American playwriting...Indians reached its...fulfillment not in the events on the stage...but out in the auditorium where we were forced to re-examine some of our value judgments through a crack in our beloved national epic of the Old Wild West."[12]
John Lahr of The Village Voice wrote: "Indians deals with the most incendiary truth: myth being created to justify a lost dream."[13]
^Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson tcm.com, retrieved January 2, 2018
^Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson allmovie.com, retrieved January 2, 2018
^Buffalo Bill and the Indians or Sitting Bull's History LessonRotten Tomatoes, retrieved January 2, 2018
^Buffalo Bill And The Indians Or Sitting Bull's History Lesson afi.com, retrieved January 2, 2018
^ Patterson, Michael. Indians, The Oxford Guide to Plays, Oxford University Press, 2007, ISBN0198604181, p. 203
^Guernsey, Otis L. "Broadway", Curtain Times: The New York Theatre, 1965-1987, Hal Leonard Corporation, 1987, ISBN0936839244, p. 157
^Lahr, John. "On-Stage. Review of 'Indians'" The Village Voice October 16, 1969
External linksedit
Internet Broadway Database listing
Internet Movie Database listing
Indians Samuel French
January 01, 1970
indians, play, indians, 1968, play, arthur, kopit, indianswritten, byarthur, kopitdate, premieredjuly, 1968place, premieredunited, statesoriginal, languageenglishgenrewestern, core, buffalo, bill, cody, buffalo, bill, wild, west, show, play, examines, contradi. Indians is a 1968 play by Arthur Kopit IndiansWritten byArthur KopitDate premieredJuly 1968Place premieredUnited StatesOriginal languageEnglishGenreWestern At its core is Buffalo Bill Cody and his Buffalo Bill s Wild West Show The play examines the contradictions of Cody s life and his work with Native Americans Alvin Klein writing in The New York Times wrote that the play intended to open up the real savage story of how the West was won to demythologize that old game of cowboys and Indians 1 Contents 1 Productions 2 Adaptation 3 Analysis 4 Broadway awards and nominations 5 References 6 External linksProductions editIndians premiered in London in July 1968 in a production by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Aldwych Theatre directed by Jack Gelber 1 2 3 The play had its US premiere at the Arena Stage Washington DC 1 from May 1 1969 to June 8 1969 directed by Gene Frankel 4 3 The play opened on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on October 13 1969 Directed by Gene Frankel the cast included Stacy Keach as Buffalo Bill Manu Tupou as Sitting Bull Tom Aldredge Kevin Conway Charles Durning Raul Julia and Sam Waterston The play ran for 96 performances and 16 previews 5 6 The play was presented at the McCarter Theater Princeton New Jersey in October 1991 directed by George Faison 1 Adaptation editIn 1976 Robert Altman wrote and directed a screen adaptation titled Buffalo Bill and the Indians or Sitting Bull s History Lesson The cast included Paul Newman Joel Grey Kevin McCarthy Geraldine Chaplin Denver Pyle and Harvey Keitel 7 8 9 10 Analysis editMichael Patterson professor of Theater at De Montfort University Leicester wrote in The Oxford Guide to Plays that Kopit turned to a more serious political investigation of the white settlers treatment of Native Americans Kopit s play was one of the first major pieces to confront the issue and to relate it to continuing genocide in South East Asia 11 Otis L Guernsey wrote in Curtain Times The New York Theatre 1965 1987 that the best script of the 1969 70 bests in our opinion was Indians about the opening of the American West It is destined certainly for an illustrious career where it will enhance the reputation of American playwriting Indians reached its fulfillment not in the events on the stage but out in the auditorium where we were forced to re examine some of our value judgments through a crack in our beloved national epic of the Old Wild West 12 John Lahr of The Village Voice wrote Indians deals with the most incendiary truth myth being created to justify a lost dream 13 Broadway awards and nominations editSource 6 1970 Tony Award for Best Play nominee 1970 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play Keach nominee 1970 Tony Award for Best Lighting Design nominee 1970 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance Keach winner 1970 New York Drama Critics Circle for Best American Play nominee References edit a b c d Klein Alvin Theater Indians an Echo of Vietnam The New York Times October 20 1991 Hennessy Brendan Arthur Kopit Interviewed by Brendan Hennessy The Transatlantic Review No 30 Autumn 1968 pp 68 73 a b Kopit Arthur Introduction Indians A Play Samuel French Inc 1997 reprint ISBN 0573692378 pp 4 6 Arena Stage 1968 1969 Season permanent dead link arenastage org retrieved January 1 2018 Indians ibdb com a b Indians Playbill retrieved January 1 2018 Buffalo Bill and the Indians or Sitting Bull s History Lesson tcm com retrieved January 2 2018 Buffalo Bill and the Indians or Sitting Bull s History Lesson allmovie com retrieved January 2 2018 Buffalo Bill and the Indians or Sitting Bull s History Lesson Rotten Tomatoes retrieved January 2 2018 Buffalo Bill And The Indians Or Sitting Bull s History Lesson afi com retrieved January 2 2018 Patterson Michael Indians The Oxford Guide to Plays Oxford University Press 2007 ISBN 0198604181 p 203 Guernsey Otis L Broadway Curtain Times The New York Theatre 1965 1987 Hal Leonard Corporation 1987 ISBN 0936839244 p 157 Lahr John On Stage Review of Indians The Village Voice October 16 1969External links editInternet Broadway Database listing Internet Movie Database listing Indians Samuel French Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Indians play amp oldid 1173187443, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
