Synopsis
Freeman
Published by Dramatists Play Service
3 Male 2 Female
Spurning the conventional routes to possible "success" in a white - dominated world, Freeman pursues an independent, free-wheeling course through attempts at politics and real estate schemes - only to be frustrated at every turn
The irony is that Freeman's disturbing ambitions are curbed not only by the local establishment, but also by his own family and friends
His weary, middle-class parents, who are fearful of jeopardizing all that their years of resigned acceptance have brought them; his boyhood friend, Rex, now a successful doctor, who has gained power and wealth through "practical" compromise
And his pregnant wife, Osa Lee, who yearns only for security and a home of her own. Inevitably Freeman's dogged persistence brings on a crisis which gives tragic dimension to his plight
He is clearly in the right, yet he must also lose - as, by powerful implication, does society as a whole
Presented with great success by The American Place Theatre, this perceptive, moving and ultimately shattering play offers arresting new insights into the Black Experience in America
"This is a fascinating play, and confirms that Mr Dean is a black playwright of far more than usual interest. He has fire" ~ NY Times
" honest and compassionateunmistakably the work of a genuine playwright " ~ NY Daily News