Ed Bullins
Ed Bullins
Ed Bullins
stereotypes, and romantic illusions to test what is of value in them. His basic concern is with
black people, their values, aspirations, dreams. Constant in his work is a questioning of the
meaning of the idea of a people, a community, and its various definitions: the ideological
definitions generated by the black nationalist movement of the 1960s and early 1970s; the
traditional definitions of family and kinship networks; street definitions evolved from the
partnerships and loyalties of neighborhood and street life; the looser definition suggested
simply by the phrase with which he often concludes his list of characters: ³the people in this
A wanderer himself, Bullins sets his plays all over the United States: Los Angeles,
New York, Philadelphia, Newport, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. However, geography
in Bullin's plays is superseded by a more important location, the black nation which exists
wherever black people are. They, and Bullins, create an imaginative and subjective sense of
place through their music, language, and perceptions of the world. they transform geographic
Bullins frequently asserts he does not write realistic plays, regardless of the style in
which they are written. For example, his characters frequently drift freely between time
frames, ore ven step out of the play to address the audience; Bullins knows it is on such
imaginative realities that not only a culture but also a political and social identity can be built.
Intrinsic in the imaginative world of a Bullins play is black music: it is always either
coming from a radio or from an actual combo which sits on the stage and even takes part in
the action. Jazz, blues (for which he often writes the lyrics), and gospel music become the
context for this characters' activities, providing another dimension to their meaning.
Language, too, provides more than realistic detail; it defines the sensibility of his
people. In Bullins¶ plays, black street argot becomes lyrical without losing any of its energy
and edge. Moreover, his plays are often punctuated by long monologues through which
characters define themselves with a precision made possible by Bullins perfect ear. In fact,
two of his plays, Street Sounds (produced in 1970) and its spin-off House Party, a Soul
happening (produced in 1973) consist entirely of monologues through which the mosaic of the
When Bullins edited Drama Review's black theater issue, he divided the plays into two
groups: ³Black Revolutionary Theatre,´ under which heading he placed plays depicting racial
conflict, often literal racial warfare, and ³Theatre of Black Experience,´ in which group he
placed his own Clara's Ole Man. Bullins has written in both modes; however, his plays differ
radically from the work of Baraka, Ben Caldwell, Marvin X, Sonia Sanchez, Herbert Stokes,
Bullins has greatly influenced American theatre and literature. His work, characterized
by a disdain for ineffective political rhetoric as a substitute for action, most often examines
the lives of black people in iner-city ghettos and offers the audience the opportunity to interact
them enthusiastic²still constitute almost all of the commentary on his plays. He is most
frequently praised for his language, power of observation, humor, and veracity. The structural
techniques of Bullins¶ plays most frequently disturb critics who feel his episodic vignettes,
central use of party, and the monologues in particular leave the plays unfocused. But all agree
A central figure for the black arts movement of the 196os and 1970s, Bullins,
however, avoided making theoretical statements to which other leading figures of the
movement turned in seeking a rationale for the new writing and daring theater that the
movement produced. Although hard on his characters who are cultural nationalists, Bullins
does not criticize their beliefs, but rather their substituting rhetoric for art, for the actual
creation of new cultural and social realities. Moreover, if one must label Bullins, the most
accurate one is that of cultural nationalist, for the effect of his work is to give substance to the
theory, to make possible a definition of cultural nationalism that has not yet been proposed.
A national culture exists when the artists of a nation have created a world of the
imagination. They have succeeded in giving the people of the nation an extended artistic
reference point, a mirror as well as a picture of their possibilities, creative means for
Black music has always performed this service for black Americans; black writers and
visual artists have only recently begun to do so. Bullins consciously and carefully seeks to
create a counterpart to black music: a world his audience can visit and revisit, in which they
can see themselves, from which they can draw sustenance, through which they are challenged
to create themselves anew. Black music is merely the ground, the setting, and the structure of
R
Bullins has written more than fifty plays; over forty of them were professionally
Books
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. New York: Harper, 1973.
Plays
. New York: Henry Street Settlement¶s New Federal Theatre,
1969.
O
!"#$%& %$ . New York: New Lafayette Theatre,
1970.
O O" ' . New York: Henry Street Settlement¶s New Federal Theatre,
1975.
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Bullins's work is concerned with the candid depiction of the African American
experience. To this end, Bullins has created a body of work which falls into two categories:
those of the "Twentieth-Century Cycle," or cycle plays, and non-cycle plays. In order to
create his theater of black experience, Bullins has striven to attain a recognizable thematic and
character progression throughout these plays. In this way, the audience feels an even greater
The black experience in America is unique²it has no real parallel. And black
Americans are unique. Paradoxically, blacks may well be at once the most estranged and the
least foreign of all the citizens: most estranged because of their special history, which began
in subjugation, continued in separation, and persists to this day under various forms of
segregation; least foreign because, ironically, having been cut off from their native roots, they
had few guides but those of the master and his agents. This is not to say
no ³Africanisms´ survived. Of course they did. Still, most black Americans, for good or ill,
were imbued with many of the same goals and aspirations of those of the dominant group.
Many critics saw his early works in a favorable light, but many thought they were too
violent and depicted African-Americans in a negative way. One issue was whether or not
black writers should challenge revolutionary activity without providing alternative directions
and resolutions. Several black critics rallied to defend Bullins and attacked white critics for
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Ô The slick confidence man running a fresh new game there, but when it fails, or
he gets caught ,again, will he put his wife on the street in six feet of snow
A young and beautiful lady who is strong-willed and clever. She has been
loved by men thoughout her life and she is aware of this. She knows that she can control men
Curt¶s friend. They met in the jail, where Art saved Curt¶s life in a brawl, and
earned instant trust. He knows much more about the world, he¶s knocked around.
? The heroin dealer. Shaky is also the µlover¶ and pimp of Mama Too Tight and
a white girl who has drug habit. She is young and most of the
time childish; she wants someone to take care of her and to understand her; but as Shaky has
to survive, unincarcerated. He is a realistic man and has the insight of what is going to
happen.
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One of the Black consciousness plays of Ed Bullins's O . + +,
first appeared as a staged reading at the American Place Theater in June of 1968.
The play features the tough, streetwise Curt and his nubile wife Pandora, who sells her
body to bring Curt money; Curt's friend Rich; Mamma Too Tight, a young white woman who
is wholly dependent upon her pimp, Shaky; and Art, a quiet, seemingly naive sort who, after
having saved. Curt in a prison fight, is befriended by him. Though some of these decide to
leave the hostility of Los Angeles, it is Curt who decides on Buffalo as an actual destination,
hoping that he and Pandora can start a legitimate business there. As the play proceeds,
Curt and Rich, two blacks in their twenties, are playing chess and being served beers
by Curt's attractive, long-suffering wife Pandora, when they are visited by Art Garrison, a
quiet thoughtful young black, who saved Curt's life in the county jail during a riot between
white and black prisoners. Curt is planning a job which will pay for them all to go to Buffalo
and begin a new life, and Art is persuaded to join them. Pandora and her white friend Mamma
Too Tight, who has to feed her drug habit, leave to go to work as hookers in a local club.
At the club, Art and Mamma get close, and Mamma's pimp Shaky comes and threatens
her. Deeny, the club owner, then arrives from a meeting with the union and announces that he
is closing the club. When he refuses to pay any wages, a fight breaks out, in which Curt is
injured and Shaky knocked unconscious. Curt, Pandora, Mamma, and Art escape just as the
police arrive. Three days later, Curt plans to raise bail for Shaky, who has been jailed for
possession, by selling Shaky's heroin. Then they will all leave for Buffalo. Art, who has
secretly fallen in love with Pandora, betrays Curt's heroin deal to the police, and then leaves
°
In the first act, we are introduced with the setting and the importance of the usage of
music thoughrought the play. We see Curt and Rich playing chess. The game of chess is a
metaphor; it opens the play as Curt customarily beats Rich. Art, too, prevails at chess but also
deftly manipulates the feelings, fears, and aspirations of these desperate characters,
Although the whole play gives us the impression of Pandora¶s strenght and power on
others, we see Curt yelling at her and looking down on her all the time. He threats her as if
she was his maid and Pandora is aware of this and she rejects the idea and talks back him
, ³Just because you are pissed off at the world don¶t take it out on me!
What¶ta hell ya thin ya got µround here, maid service?´
The usage of music has the utmost importance in the play, and we hear ³Delilah´
during the important scenes. Delilah, standard Hebrew meaning ³[One who] weakened or
uprooted or impoverished´ from the root dal meaning µweak or poor¶ appears only in the
Hebrew bible Book of Judges 16, where she is the µwoman in the valley of Sorek¶
whom Samson loved, and who was his downfall. Her figure, one of several dangerous
temptresses in the Hebrew bible, has become emblematic: µSamson loved Delilah, she
betrayed him, and, what is worse, she did it for money¶. Delilah had become the eponym of a
³Delilah´, a treacherous and cunning femme fatale. Hence, we have lots of references in
books, poetry and music using this connatation. Moreover, in this play we repeatedly hear the
As Art arrives the tension between Rich and Art is felt at the beginning, and this will
last until the end of the game. Curt talks about how he trusts Art, because he has saved him
from being knocked in the jail during a riot between blacks and whites.
Curt: ³«how I appreciate what you did, man. It wasn¶t your fight man. You
weren¶t taking sides. You were one of the quiet guys waiting for trial..´ (1912)
Rich is a serious man and when he asks Art a question Art not giving a direct answer
ditched his answer; yet Rich insists on the question as he is a direct man he wants direct
answer.
Moreover in the first act we encounter Mamma Too Tight, a white girl of 20 who
named herself like that after she experiences life. This young girl is addicted to heroine and
she is a desperate girl though she seems not to be. While she is talking to Pandora about
Shaky, her man/pimp, she seems really happy, in fact she is never happy the whole play.
Though now we see her not taking her speech seriously, we can infer that she needs
love and care, she just can¶t find it in Shaky no matter how much she wants. She is just out of
prison with his help and she wants him to care about her not just for money.
Other than the themes of love and ordinary lives in the third scene the idea of
³Yeah. We want to make some Money Art, so we can get out of this
hole. We are making¶ it to Buffalo, man. You hip to Buffalo?´
Buffalo represents the unrealizable wide-open space of freedom. The American Dream as the
phrase is usually tossed around, is about specific, subjective things unique to each person who
dreams it. In this play, American Dream is a tragifantasy the characters had just that in mind.
The dreams to go away and have a prospect live but when reality struck the street people find
out the existence of how black American and the brutal life it can unfold. American Dream is
what you would consider a ³perfect life.´ It can be full of happiness, money, love, food, cars,
whatever you desire; everybody has a different perception. Here setting for a new place and
having some more money is their drive. Curt believes his success from The American
And Pandora is really hopeful that they will be really happy in a new town: ³ It¶s
supposed to be a good little town. A different scenery entirely. I¶m due for a good scene for a
change.
Suddenly we see Curt hitting Pandora out of nearly no reason, and Art tries to step
between them. Art: ³Don¶t hit her any more, Curt´ This move drives Curt crazy and he claims
that she is his woman and he has every right to do what he wants. He heighlights that he is
paying Pandora¶s bills while she rejects that. And the confession which will surprise the
³I¶m sorry for butting your business between you and yur ole lady but
something just happens to me, man when I see a guy hit a girl.
Lastly, towards the end of the play we are introduced to Pandora¶s Box. As a mythical
fact we kow that in the box there are evil things. And as it is opened all of them will be freed
except hope. So the playwright gives us the impression that, although some evil things may
happen during the play there is stil hop efor the survivors. Moreover, here in the play the evil
things are marijuana and the gun. After the evil things are placed in the box, we see them set
á
The play moves through a long middle sequence in a neighborhood nightclub where
Pandora sings; there, the Bullinsian element of violence controls every interaction between
characters, the cast by now having been augmented by unpaid, disgruntled musicians who are
This sequence ends in a bloody brawl as Deeny, the club's disreputable manager,
arrives to announce that the show is closing and that no one will be paid. Though the issue of
racial tension is obvious in a play about African Americans at odds with poverty and with the
possibilities by writing stage directions that allow Deeny, the Bouncer, and a customer to be
cast as whites ² possibilities through which, Bullins writes, ³there might be added tensions.´
While they are at the club, Art and Pandora talk about Mamma. And Art makes
, ³She is not asking for your pity. She is a real woman in some ways
and she won¶t let you take it away from her by your pity. She¶d spit on your
pity.´
, ³ I ain¶t no whore. I¶m just making money so Curt and me can get on
our feet. One day we gonna own property and maybe some businesses when
we get straight.´
Here Pandora indicates the idea of American Dream again, she heighlights that she has hopes
In this act, Art¶s admiration for Pandora is also implied in many ways. For example
³Pandora is a beautiful girl, Curt. You¶re lucky, man, to have her. I envy you´
Even after that, Curt has no doubts about his behaviours and when there is a possibility
of them being caught by the police, Curt and Pandora has this dialog:
³If anything happens baby, let Art take care of things..´
, ³Art?´
C: ³Yeah.´
There starts a fight at the club and then Shaky was injured and the police caughts him
since the other has left him there. Shaky¶s imprisonment will be the climax of the play;
because to release him Curt has a plan and he won¶t succeed in this.
The next scene of the act we see Curt and Rich playing chess again. While they are
playing they start talking about Art and Pandora; and Rich implies something and Curt gets
C: ³Yeah, But tell me. What do you have tyo say, good buddy.´
R: ³Man, I don¶mean there is anything going on yet« but each afternoon he¶s
taken Pandora ou for the past three days they been gettin¶ back later« and..´
C: ³You are accusinf my wife of jivin¶ around on me. You know that Pan is the
straightest broad you¶ll ever find.that¶s why I married her.´
Curt¶s problem is too much trust on people, he also relies Pandora a lot, but things are not as
he believes. When Art and Pandora arrive from the club, they seem to be departed from each
other, and try to seem angry at one another. Yet, when they find the oppurtunity to get closer
Lastly in ACT II we see Curt, Rich and Pandora leaving to get Shaky released. And
Art stays at home with Mamma. As they leave Art shouts behind them: ³See you later Pan,
good-bye Curt, good bye Rich´ and he starts lauhghing when he tries to wake up sleeping
Mamma. Here we have an idea of the next scene, maybe just Pandora will come back, and the
!
In the third scene which is a very short scene, we see Pandora crying and facing Art.
We understand that Curt and Rich are arrested and we infer from Pandora¶s speech that Art
has planned the arresting and he informed the police about the heroine.
Pandora: ³The cops were waiting fort hem. They busted them with all those
narcotics..we¶ll never see them again.´
Art: ³We are hot, Pandora. We got to get out of the town.´
Pandora: ³They got them, don¶t ya hear me, Art. What can we do?
Pandora continues crying and can¶t understand what Art is trying to convey. And
suddenly we happen to see Art slapping her. Although he said that he couldn¶t stand a man
Mamma is also going with them to much of Pandora¶s surprise. Here the thing that Art
tells about himself is totally different from what we are shown from the beginning.
Lastly Art wants Pandora to take her box as well. Here, eventually, reliable Art is also
an evil not to mention. And in Buffalo things are going to be same for Pandora and Mamma,
no matter how hard they try to keep away from the reality.
WORKS CITED
<http://www.bridgesweb.com/blacktheatre/bullins.html>.
Literary Biography. Afro-American Writers After 1955: Dramatists and Prose Writers