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dycook's review
4.0
Part of what made [b:Citizen: An American Lyric|20613761|Citizen An American Lyric|Claudia Rankine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1420944502s/20613761.jpg|39895091] so great was the balance between poetry and art. The two forms played off each other in a way that amplified both. In this play, that balance is disrupted and the function of art is explained far too much. The White Card functions in other interesting ways, but it does not have the same effect as Citizen.
smalefowles's review
4.0
Excellent and cutting dissection of the white savior complex as born of guilt but rejecting responsibility.
I'm glad I read this play rather than watching it because it requires an understanding of contemporary art that I did not have at the outset of my reading. Now I understand a little more about the art scene, especially as it is constructed as a white sphere where images of black bodies are consumed. It's not just the art world that operates this way, though.
I'd love to see it someday, especially the very end of the play.
I'm glad I read this play rather than watching it because it requires an understanding of contemporary art that I did not have at the outset of my reading. Now I understand a little more about the art scene, especially as it is constructed as a white sphere where images of black bodies are consumed. It's not just the art world that operates this way, though.
I'd love to see it someday, especially the very end of the play.
chadconnecticut's review
5.0
Taut, unrelenting, hard to read. An exceptional examination of race and spectacle.
kitkatpanicattack's review
challenging
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
this had some of the most riveting dialogue I've ever encountered, but some of it felt very heavy handed at times. nonetheless, a thought provoking piece I am very eager to continue engaging with.
jiyoung's review
4.0
Every POC has had a minefield of a conversation with a particular type of “well-meaning” white ally that’s eager to showcase just how much they are working against injustice. This play encapsulates just how much white allies can be blind to the perpetuation of white supremacy in their status quo, and just how much their good intentions can be deeply misguided. Wealthy art collectors Virginia and Charles invite Charlotte, a black woman artist, to their home for dinner. Tensions build slowly, starting with the usual microaggressions (Virginia claiming she’s met Charlotte before though it was another woman), until it erupts into a shouting match over the fetishization of black death as an aesthetic commodity. Rankine’s characters are not complex humans; they more so present a certain archetype in today’s world of white saviorism/fragility/privilege. As such it’s less of a play in the classic sense of plot-driven illustration of human behavior. But she nails the awkward equivocating and cognitive dissonance of many white people attempting to talk about racial justice.
li_post's review
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bananagram210's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
zainabsaba's review
challenging
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
losethegirl's review
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I often don’t love reading plays and prefer to watch them, but this piece was incredible. Rankine’s work always includes poignant critiques of whiteness in America, and this was no exception. It made me think critically about my own positionality, and I would highly recommend this book.
endlesstbr's review
I am uncomfortable providing a rating for this title. I would love to see this performed, as the words portray the tension in these conversations and I can only imagine how a live performance would enhance these words.