Theo Stockman
In the margins of 'Catcher in the Rye,' David Rabe writes a gut-wrenching play
Anybody familiar with the cynicism of Rabe's Hurlyburly might be surprised by his more sentimental side. Set comfortably in the past—the years around 1960 seems to be in vouge lately on the New York stage: think of Clybourne Park and The Columnist —it's imbued with more than a touch of nostalgia. But An Early History of Fire is gut-wrenching because it takes place in an era that many audience members remember well. We know what these characters want (maybe wanted some of the same things for ourselves), but we also realize how unlikely it is that their dreams would be fulfilled. More
