Overview
Synopsis
Topdog/Underdog is a dark comedy revolving around two African-American brothers: Lincoln and Booth. Their father chose their names as a twisted joke shortly before deserting them. The choice of naming the children after an assassin and his target foreshadows how tumultuous the relationship between Lincoln and Booth would become. Both orphans, they have relied on each other for survival and company. Now in their thirties, both men struggle to make a new life, one that will leave them away from poverty. Lincoln spends his days getting “shot” playing President Lincoln in an odd tourist attraction, while Booth tries to master the con game three-card monte. Throughout their many trials and tribulations, the brothers turn to conning people on the streets, and even each other, in their attempts to survive. Full of passion and poetry, Topdog/Underdog won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2001 as well as a 2023 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.
Show Information
- Book
- Suzan-Lori Parks
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 2001
- Genres
- Dark Comedy
- Settings
- Simple/No Set
- Time & Place
- lincoln and booth’s seedy house, present
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- Samuel French
- Ideal For
- All-Male Cast, College/University, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Star Vehicle Male, Includes Adult Characters
Context
Plot
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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