Synopsis
Bang the Drum Slowly
$13
Published by Dramatists Play Service
Large Mixed Cast
As with any season, the goal is to reach the World Series, but this year, there's more at stake than usual. Star pitcher, Henry "Author" Wiggens learns that his roommate, Bruce Pearson, the team's third string catcher, is coping with a fatal disease
A simple farmboy from Georgia with no true friends other than Author, Bruce convinces Author to cover for him lest he get kicked off the team
Coming nose to nose against the team's manager and his teammates' prejudice against the quiet dignity of Bruce, Author can only forestall the inevitable disclosure of what's happening
By the time the team actually nears wining the pennant, and the play reaches its heartbreaking conclusion, Author and Bruce will have formed a friendship that allows Bruce the dignity he deserves, forever changing Author, and the audience is in tears yet exalted by the beauty of the human spirit
REVIEWS
"There's no denying the humor and power of the work, nor the audience's three-hankie response a fascinating textural portrait of our national image" ~ Boston Herald