The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window

1. This is definately an idea play. A self proclaimed play about intellectualism. Sign never forgets it's about what the ideas do to the people. It never wanders or meanders in it's philosophy, rather the philolosphy manifests itself in the disappointments and trainwrecks that ensue.

2. The play is unafraid of it's own sentiment. In the same way that the ideologies never distract from the characters. This play manages to hug a fine like which allows it to never drift into melodrama or sentiment when it would be so easy to do. Consider the closing dialogue by Sidney: "Yes...weep, darling. Weep. Let us both weep. That is the first thing: to let ourselves feel again...and then, tomorrow, we shall make something strong of this sorrow.,." This could be a horrible dialogue for a scene between Iris and Sidney if it occured anywhere but here. The emotion is so powerful because this is a break from Sidney and Iris' banter and disconnect we've seen through the entire piece.

3. The way characters connect through myriad theatricality. Consider the ways characters come together philosophical debate - Alton and Sidney. Dance - Iris and Sidney. Song - Wally and Sidney. Dream - wonderfully theatrical scene at the beginning of Act II where the apartment is the mountains and Iris is his mountain girl and she slips into his dream. The interconnected dialogue of David, Sidney, and Gloria - all is guilty, none is guilty.

4. The structure of this piece if deft beyond belief - one of my essential qualities of perfection or "well madeness." Act one sets the table at a delibrate pace, act two covers a much longer period of time and clips through the conflict knowing not to linger because we know the stakes so well after act one. The structure also allows for a certain degree of predictablity. By the end of Act I we can see the writing on the wall - we know what's at stake and we can feal the house of cards trembling as the breeze picks up. But the way Hansberry drops story lines in and out and immerses us so makes us surprised when Gloria shows up even though we know she's coming, we know it will end badly, but her timing is so spot on it still feels startling. The same can be said of Mavis entrances and references to Alton and Gloria's potential engagement.

5. Another mark of a perfect play for me becomes the playwrights ability to vanish by exploring and exposing the best and worst parts of herself in every character. Despite the cultural and racial differences we can see Hansberry everywhere and seeing her everywhere makes her literally vanish and leave us only with the characters.

6. It's ability to be so true to its time that it became prophetic. "The play was produced a year and a half before white liberal intellectuals were to be confronted by the spectre of black power. Sign was a conscious warning. Lorraine Hansberry speaking to those white intellectuals of her own generation and telling them to prepare for what was to come" Julius Lester, Villiage Voice, 1970.

7. Just amazingly crips even when lofty dialogue. Same of my favorites. "In order to do things you have to do things." - Sidney "I have experienced the death of the exclamation point!" Sidney "There are no squares, Sidney. Believe me when I tell you, everybody is his own hipster." Mavis

8. The play is unfraid to tackle all the big themes at once - life, death, sexuality, politics, gender, race, class, and philosophy. It looks all of these in the face mocks them, berates them, hates them, and ultimately loves them.

9. It's an undeniable tragedy but it never loses hope. No matter how foolish that hope may be it understands its necessity.

10. It recieved utterly mixed reviews. What a silly criteria for a perfect play. However, it was not only ahead of its time, but there was a unmistakable quality about it that made it survive when it should have only recieved a short run due to opening reviews. It wasn't harshly recieved but many reviews contained the phrases "flawed as it is" "inspite of it's flaws." What saved the plays run was a letter I will include here:

The news that Lorraine Hansberry's "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window" faces closing should disturb all who love theatre.

Miss Hansberry's new play is a work of distinction. It contains the humor and insight we associate with the finest traditions of our stage, and it is written with profound respect for the human condition.

"Sidney Brustein" is concerned with the turbulent life of our times. It is, in turn, powerful, tender, moving and hilarious.

Whether it survives will be determined this week. We, the undersigned, who believe in it enough to pay for this ad, urge you to see it NOW.

James Baldwin Anne Bancroft Mel Brooks Marlon Brando Paddy Chayefsky Sammy Davis Jr. Ossie Davis Ruby Dee William Gibson Lillian Hellman Sidney Kingsley Viveca Lindfors Mike Nichols Arthur Penn Frank & Eleanor Perry Shelley Winters

The New York Times, 1964

A whether recieving mixed reviews by critics that recieves such praise and support from its artistic peers has accomplished something we all strive for in our art, and certain should be considered a mark of perfection.