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Summary: Whos the Boss now?
Review: Due to the fact that the play, Wit, by Magret Edson, stars Judith Light, I am her to tell you that the play is at least as good as the best ever Whos the Boss episode ( arguably the one when Judith Lights character goes to a shrink and it is revealed that she does not know what a RBI is ( run batted in ) ). Anyway, the play is fantastic. It is the story of a 50'ish college professor who is struck with cancer. Throwing caution into the wind, Vivian decides to take on the strongest possible attempt at a cure. This proves to be a painful decision. Despite her suffering, Vivian keeps on hoping, and stays with the regimen if not to save her own life but to at least increase knowledge of others ( the main goal of her whole life ) Wit is an incredible play and should be shared by everyone. SO READ IT.
Rating:
Summary: The most powerful play I've seen/read in years
Review: I bought and read the play after seeing it performed twice by Judith Light, once off-Broadway and once regionally in Washington, D.C. I believe one would find the play equally powerful without having seen it. Perhaps because Margaret Edson never had formal training as a playwright, no one told her what she "shouldn't" do, and as a result, Wit is a brilliant, searing, *unique* vision of how a woman's mind becomes sharper and more insightful even as her body deteriorates. The character of Dr. Vivian Bearing reminded me a lot of Maria Callas in "Master Class" (at least, as rendered on stage); both are strong, imperious characters who draw you into their confidence while challenging you to keep up. And it's a relief to find a play that doesn't talk down to its readers/viewers, and actually contains, for instance, a lecture on a Donne sonnet -- which, incredibly, moves the action forward. After reading or seeing the play, you feel emotionally drained but energized.I'm both a cancer patient and a playwright, and I can only hope that I'm able to produce as eloquent and powerful a work as Margaret Edson has given us.
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Summary: SEE THIS PLAY!
Review: That's all there is to say. See (or at least read) Wit with an open mind and heart, and the story will take root in you. Friends and I saw it more than a week ago, and we're still marveling at the searing power of the story, the incredible humor, the brilliant performance by Judith Light, and the superb stagecraft. I've even caught myself telling total strangers to see Wit! Nothing I can recall ever hit me in quite this way. (Full disclosure: Before she moved to Atlanta, Margaret Edson worshiped at the same church in Washington, D.C. I knew her a little and always admired her luminous talents and down-to-earth lack of pretension.)
Rating: 
Summary: I would give it 0 stars if I could
Review: This play was so full of stereotypes, it is ironic that the title is "Wit." The cold, driven, successful English professor gets cancer, her doctors are absolutely inhuman, insensitive jerks (of course), and this makes her realize what a cruel person she has been all her life. It's sooo predictable and obvious that I'm surprised there wasn't a blinking sign telling me when to laugh when I saw it in the theatre. I can NOT believe something so unoriginal won the Pulitzer. The one thing I give the play credit for is the clever dialogue. But the cleverness of the dialogue could never make up for the lack of real people in the play. The stereotypes masquerading as characters made the play shallow in the end and no amount of "witty" dialogue could make up for that.
Rating:
Summary: poignant
Review: This play lives up to its' Pulitzer Prize Award by its' ability to reach a myriad of emotions. This is accomplished through the strong descriptions through the eyes of a poetry professor who is an ovarian cancer patient, as well as new and more experienced physcians and hospital staff. A very different and poignant view!
Rating:
Summary: Just Read Wit
Review: This is by far one of the most powerful plays to come out of the American theater in the past ten years. Even if you aren't a theater buff or like to read plays you must read Wit. It also won the pulitzer prize this year, if that makes any diiference to you. If you or anyone you've know has had cancer, it's an honest insight into how one woman copes with the diesase. Beautiful writing.
Rating:
Summary: A dazzling play that puts everything into perspective!
Review: If there ever was a play that deserved to win the Pulitzer Prize, this is the one. In this play, we are introduced to Dr. Vivian Bearing, Ph.D, John Donne expert. When she is diagnosed with metastatic ovarian cancer, she probes and studies how she has lived her life. Was it worth it? Was there something that could have been improved upon? Her assessment reveals a truer, greater picture of how all humanity should live life. Edson's use of medical vocabulary and knowledge woven with John Donne's poetry, as well as personal introspection, make this play all the more credible and emotionally satisifying.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliantly moving and touching. A must read.
Review: Margaret Edson brings to this book, and to the stage, a moving and brilliant play. The irony and beauty of this work may be lost on those who read only the words and do not delve deeper into her many underlying themes. Reading Donne will never be the same for this reader. This work transcends may academic bariers. It is a must read for students of philosophy, English, sociology and psychology as it contains so many elements of the human condition. Medical schools would also do well to make this required reading.
Rating:
Summary: Brevity is the soul of W;t
Review: As a physician and sometimes poet, I enjoyed W;t tremendously. Edson knows physicians better than many of them know themselves. Like her main character (not to mention her doctors), too many physicians are heartlessly rational despite the possibility for real and necessary human connection. Her ability to weave the poetry of Donne seamlessly into a story of a woman suffering from terminal cancer adds deeper meaning to both the poetry and to the conception of illness and death. In what amounts to just a few words, this play works very well on many levels. It is truly a rare treasure. The final scene alone speaks volumes about what is wrong with medicine today with one unforgettable image. Congratulations, Ms. Edson, you have created a masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Intelligent and moving - one of the best plays I've read.
Review: Edson's play is remarkable for its intelligent, caring and entertaining take on a difficult subject. Just reading it is not enough. You must see it on stage. I was fortunate to see Judith Light in the Union Square Theatre producion...it left me in awe.
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