Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings
Ebook35 pages19 minutes
A Study Guide for Alice Childress's "Trouble in Mind"
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
3/5
()
About this ebook
A Study Guide for Alice Childress's "Trouble in Mind," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Drama For Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Drama For Students for all of your research needs.
Read more from Gale
A Study Guide for James Clavell's "Shogun" A study guide for Frank Herbert's "Dune" Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A Study Guide for William Shakespeare's Macbeth Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for John Rawls's "A Theory of Justice" Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Study Guide for Louis Sachar's "Holes" Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Study Guide for Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for George Orwell's Animal Farm Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Study Guide for S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for James Joyce's "James Joyce's Ulysses" Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Study Guide for Psychologists and Their Theories for Students: JEAN PIAGET Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Octavia Butler's "Parable of the Sower" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBusiness Plans Handbook: Bakery Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Psychologists and Their Theories for Students: ALBERT BANDURA Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway" Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Business Plans Handbook: Furniture Businesses Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Study Guide for Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Marjane Satrapi's "Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Lois Lowry's The Giver Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Study Guide (New Edition) for F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for George Orwell's 1984 Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A Study Guide for Wole Soyinka's "Death and the King's Horsemen" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Shirley Jackson's The Lottery Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for "Postmodernism" Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Study Guide (New Edition) for William Golding's "Lord of the Flies" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to A Study Guide for Alice Childress's "Trouble in Mind"
Related ebooks
Political Stages: Plays That Shaped a Century Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Alice Childress's "The Wedding Band" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Richard Wesley Play Anthology Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for August Wilson's "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBigotry on Broadway: An Anthology Edited by Ishmael Reed and Carla Blank Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Anna Deavere Smith's "Twilight: Los Angeles,1992" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Harvey Fierstein's "Torch Song Trilogy" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Paula Vogel's "How I Learned to Drive" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Amiri Baraka's "Dutchman" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Mart Crowley's "The Boys in the Band" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Tony Kushner's "Angels in America" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTrouble in Mind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Study Guide for Wendy Wasserstein's "The Heidi Chronicles" Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Study Guide for Noel Coward's "Hay Fever" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Anna Deavere Smith's "Fires in the Mirror" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Alice Childress's "Wine in the Wilderness" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Adrienne Kennedy's "Funny House of a Negro" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGloria: A Life (TCG Edition) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Edward Albee's "Seascape" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for August Wilson's "Radio Golf" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Lanford Wilson's "Burn This" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Roots of African American Drama: An Anthology of Early Plays, 1858-1938 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Study Guide for Heather Raffo's "Heather Raffo's 9 Parts of Desire" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Hour of All Things and Other Plays Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Lynn Nottage 's "Fabulation; or the Re-Education of Undine" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Study Guide for Quiara Alegria Hudes's "Water by the Spoonful" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCaroline, or Change Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Intimacy and Other Plays Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How the Vote Was Won: A Play in One Act Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat a Young Wife Ought to Know Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Literary Criticism For You
A Reader’s Companion to J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Man's Search for Meaning: by Viktor E. Frankl | Conversation Starters Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Killers of the Flower Moon: by David Grann | Conversation Starters Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Letters to a Young Poet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 48 Laws of Power: by Robert Greene | Conversation Starters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5As I Lay Dying Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/512 Rules For Life: by Jordan Peterson | Conversation Starters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Oscar Wilde: The Unrepentant Years Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Verity: by Colleen Hoover | Conversation Starters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of Seduction: by Robert Greene | Conversation Starters Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Great Alone: by Kristin Hannah | Conversation Starters Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.by Brené Brown | Conversation Starters Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Lincoln Lawyer: A Mysterious Profile Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Book of Virtues Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5SUMMARY Of The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in Healthy Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain | Conversation Starters Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Gulag Archipelago [Volume 1]: An Experiment in Literary Investigation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Power of Habit: by Charles Duhigg | Conversation Starters Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Circe: by Madeline Miller | Conversation Starters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just Kids: A National Book Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related podcast episodes
Angela Lansbury (#326) - June, 2011: Five time Tony winning Actress. 0% found this document usefulCharlayne Woodard (#238) - October, 2009: Actress/Playwright of "The Night Watcher". 0% found this document usefulAnne Bogart (#240) - October, 2009: Artistic Director of the SITI Company. 100% found this document usefulSarah Ruhl (#273) - June, 2010: Author of "In The Next Room (or the vibrator play)". 0% found this document usefulLanford Wilson (#224) - October, 2008: Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright. 0% found this document useful'Topdog/Underdog' with Corey Hawkins and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Plus Orfeh and Andy Karl! 0% found this document usefulEp.100 – Sarah Ruhl 0% found this document usefulWriter-Director Patrick Marber on Working With His Artistic Heroes: “It’s weird until it’s not.” 0% found this document usefulFabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine | Part 2 0% found this document usefulTracy Letts (#241) - November, 2009: Author of "Superior Donuts" and "August: Osage County". 0% found this document usefulJohn Glover (#213) - August, 2008: From "The Marriage of Bette and Boo". 0% found this document usefulFabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine | Part 1 0% found this document usefulLaura Linney (#203) - May, 2008: From "Les Liaisons Dangereuses". 0% found this document usefulTwo Actors Talk Acting 0% found this document usefulFabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine | Part 4 0% found this document usefulJohn Patrick Shanley (#97) April, 2006: Author of "Doubt" and "Defiance" 100% found this document useful
Related articles
The Unconscious Rebellion of August Wilson The AtlanticArticle
The Unconscious Rebellion of August Wilson
Dec 22, 2020
6 min readBlack Stage Report AMERICAN THEATREArticle
Black Stage Report
Feb 25, 2019
15 min readWith 'Slave Play,' A Young Playwright Provokes His Way To Broadway NPRArticle
With 'Slave Play,' A Young Playwright Provokes His Way To Broadway
Sep 20, 2019
4 min readBroadway's 'POTUS': Should These Women Save The President? NPRArticle
Broadway's 'POTUS': Should These Women Save The President?
Apr 27, 2022
2 min readPlaywrights Get A New Stage: Audible Announces 15 Writers For Audio Theater Project Los Angeles TimesArticle
Playwrights Get A New Stage: Audible Announces 15 Writers For Audio Theater Project
Feb 13, 2018
3 min readA Play With Practically No Talking? In Bess Wohl's 'Small Mouth Sounds,' Silence Is Sweet Los Angeles TimesArticle
A Play With Practically No Talking? In Bess Wohl's 'Small Mouth Sounds,' Silence Is Sweet
Jan 12, 2018
5 min readRoe: Can a Play Influence the Abortion Debate? The AtlanticArticle
Roe: Can a Play Influence the Abortion Debate?
Jan 22, 2017
4 min readThe 10 Best Shows TIMEArticle
The 10 Best Shows
Dec 19, 2016
3 min readThe 10 Best Theater Productions TIMEArticle
The 10 Best Theater Productions
Nov 26, 2018
3 min readWe’re Going To Need A Bigger Table AMERICAN THEATREArticle
We’re Going To Need A Bigger Table
Feb 25, 2019
11 min readMartha Plimpton Has Left The Steppenwolf Ensemble, A Rare Exit Chicago TribuneArticle
Martha Plimpton Has Left The Steppenwolf Ensemble, A Rare Exit
Jul 18, 2019
3 min readSam Shepard’s Dynamic Women The Paris ReviewArticle
Sam Shepard’s Dynamic Women
Aug 11, 2017
4 min readOur Pick Of The 50 Best Plays Of The 21st Century Evening StandardArticle
Our Pick Of The 50 Best Plays Of The 21st Century
Feb 8, 2023
11 min readThe Pulitzer-Winning Play 'Fairview' Is About Being Watched While Black NPRArticle
The Pulitzer-Winning Play 'Fairview' Is About Being Watched While Black
Jul 14, 2019
5 min readAnna Deavere Smith: Some Notes on Notes from the Field Literary HubArticle
Anna Deavere Smith: Some Notes on Notes from the Field
May 21, 2019
6 min read“Where Did You Laugh?” Chicago magazineArticle
“Where Did You Laugh?”
Dec 14, 2019
4 min readOnstage March 19 AMERICAN THEATREArticle
Onstage March 19
Feb 25, 2019
26 min readPolly Stenham TIMEArticle
Polly Stenham
Jun 4, 2016
1 min readPulitzer Prize-winning Play 'Fat Ham' Takes 'Hamlet' In Unexpected Directions NPRArticle
Pulitzer Prize-winning Play 'Fat Ham' Takes 'Hamlet' In Unexpected Directions
Jul 2, 2022
2 min readMfa Or The Highway? AMERICAN THEATREArticle
Mfa Or The Highway?
Dec 25, 2019
FOR YEARS, I IDENTIFIED AS A PLAY ‑ wright who wanted an MFA. I had seen those coveted three letters in almost every playwright’s bio, often attached to an illustrious university—an Ivy, or maybe a West Coast equivalent. I spent three autumns writing
12 min readA Year Since The West End Went Dark, This Is What The Last Twelve Months Have Meant For Theatre Evening StandardArticle
A Year Since The West End Went Dark, This Is What The Last Twelve Months Have Meant For Theatre
Mar 17, 2021
Everyone in UK theatre remembers where they were on Monday, March 16th, 2020. Indira Varma was preparing to play Arkadina – “one of the best roles I’ve ever been given” – in a preview of The Seagull with the Jamie Lloyd Company at the Playhouse, oppo
9 min readThe Art of TheaterNo. 18 The Paris ReviewArticle
The Art of TheaterNo. 18
Dec 1, 2020
39 min readBroadway’s Dirty Secret The AtlanticArticle
Broadway’s Dirty Secret
Nov 6, 2019
5 min readWhat 'My Fair Lady' And 'Carousel' Bring To Broadway That 'Mean Girls' Does Not Los Angeles TimesArticle
What 'My Fair Lady' And 'Carousel' Bring To Broadway That 'Mean Girls' Does Not
May 21, 2018
7 min readTony Kushner, Thinking Citizen: The Playwright On 'Angels In America,' 'West Side Story' And Surviving Trump Los Angeles TimesArticle
Tony Kushner, Thinking Citizen: The Playwright On 'Angels In America,' 'West Side Story' And Surviving Trump
Apr 3, 2018
7 min readCarrie Coon On 'Bug,' Conspiracy Theories In The White House And Her Husband, Tracy Letts Chicago TribuneArticle
Carrie Coon On 'Bug,' Conspiracy Theories In The White House And Her Husband, Tracy Letts
Jan 31, 2020
5 min readEditor’s Note AMERICAN THEATREArticle
Editor’s Note
Jul 25, 2019
IF THE FIERCE WOMAN IN A BROCADE JACKET ON OUR cover is unfamiliar to you, allow us to correct that. Playwright Adrienne Kennedy is an American original as distinctive as any artist who’s ever walked among us. Born in 1931, she began writing her lyri
2 min readDaryl Roth Producing With a Purpose AMERICAN THEATREArticle
Daryl Roth Producing With a Purpose
Mar 25, 2019
9 min readColumn: How John Proctor And #MeToo Helped Cure My 'Work In Progress' Theater Phobia Los Angeles TimesArticle
Column: How John Proctor And #MeToo Helped Cure My 'Work In Progress' Theater Phobia
Aug 19, 2019
5 min readThe Most Popular High School Plays And Musicals NPRArticle
The Most Popular High School Plays And Musicals
Aug 1, 2018
5 min read
Reviews for A Study Guide for Alice Childress's "Trouble in Mind"
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
3/5
1 rating0 reviews
Book preview
A Study Guide for Alice Childress's "Trouble in Mind" - Gale
1
Trouble in Mind
Alice Childress
1955
Introduction
Trouble in Mind is the first professionally produced play written by Alice Childress, a pioneering African-American playwright. Childress directed the first production of the play, which debuted on November 5, 1955, in Greenwich Mews Theatre, New York City, and ran for 91 performances. For Trouble in Mind, Childress was awarded an Obie Award in 1956 for best original Off-Broadway production, making her the first African-American woman to win an Obie. Though Trouble in Mind was award-winning and a hit with critics and audiences at the time, the production was plagued with problems, including a clash between the original director and cast that prompted Childress to take his place. This is ironic considering Trouble in Mind is about the troubled production of a fictional, anti-lynching Broadway play, Chaos in Belleville. Wiletta Mayer, the African-American lead of the Chaos, as well as the other black actors, must deal with the condescending attitude of their white director, Al Manners. Wiletta stands up to Manners and reveals his racist attitudes but faces severe consequences as a result. Trouble in Mind also had script problems.
The original production was also a three-act play with a relatively happy ending, while the published version, discussed in this entry, has only two acts and an ambiguous, though downbeat, close. Childress has said that she was not satisfied with either ending. Childress had a chance to take Trouble in Mind to Broadway, but the producers demanded too many changes that Childress felt would have compromised the play. Though Trouble in Mind was not seen on Broadway, critics have acknowledged its power. As John O. Killens writes in his essay, The Literary Genius of Alice Childress,
"In this play Childress demonstrated a talent and ability to write humor that had social impact. Even though one laughed throughout the entire presentation, there was, inescapably, the understanding that although one was having an undeniably emotional and profoundly intellectual experience, it was also
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1