THE BOOK OF GRACE/Suzan-Lori Parks

While Suzan Lori-Parks was writing plays in NY she lived in Brooklyn and I always thought of her as Brooklyn's own.  How little I knew until reading her biography tonight.  She spent much of her childhood in Odessa, Texas when her father was stationed overseas.  She attended H.S. in Germany speaking German when her father was stationed there.  Both of her parents were academicians and she spent her childhood reading, writing and fantasizing.  The first play I saw of hers was TOPDOG/UNDERDOG at the Public Theater for which she won a Pulitzer. And tonight in Austin we saw this powerful play set in a boarder town in Texas.  The father works boarder patrol and is one scary guy, his wife is Grace who is filled with grace and humor and his son returns home wounded and angry.  All 3 actors were magnificent in this explosive drama about a family.  And when it was over all 3 actors walked back into the theater in street clothes where Abe, Liz and I sat discussing the play and took hugs, and praise and gratitude from the Moskowitzes of Brooklyn.  A great night of theater.