Synopsis
And They Dance Real Slow in Jackson
Published by Dramatists Play Service
3 Male 4 Female
Although she tries to reach out and make friends, Elizabeth Ann is increasingly isolated from and then taunted by the others, whose small-town prejudices are reinforced by a polio scare, of which Elizabeth Ann is a chilling embodiment
Comprised of a brilliantly conceived mosaic of interlocking scenes which move back and forth in time, with four performers portraying a varied assortment of children and townspeople, the play captures not only the moving story of Elizabeth Ann's inexorable descent into madness, but also the small-mindedness and unfeeling callousness of her fellow townspeople-whose fear of the unknown or abnormal makes them the unintentional agents of her destruction
Culminating in a chilling scene in which Elizabeth Ann's leg braces are torn from her by a frenzied mob, the play becomes in the final essence a moving and poetically evocative plea for understanding and compassion in a world where prejudice and casual cruelty are too often the norm
A powerful, haunting memory play offering a vivid and deeply affecting account of the agonies inflicted on a young crippled girl growing up in a small-and small-minded-Indiana town
Winner of the American College Festival Award, the play has enjoyed widespread acceptance among leading regional theatres
"Taut and startling stagecraft" ~ Washington Post
"A showcase for exceptional acting, clever and effective staging, and forceful dialogue" ~ Washington Tribune
"Leonard has an exceptional ear for dialogue, both prosaic and poetic" ~ Washington Times