Night, Mother

In 1983, ’Night, Mother won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Why do you think the Pulitzer committee decided that this play was exceptional? Do you agree? Why or why not?

The play addresses the issues of mental illness and suicide, and although it was written in the early 1980s, it’s meant to always be performed in the present day. Do you think that the play has aged well for a contemporary production? What makes it relevant? What do you think might need to be adjusted or changed?

The play takes place in real time, which the use of clocks on the set emphasizes. What effect do you think this has on the way the play would function in performance? What does time mean in the play?