The Mound Builders: A Play

by Lanford Wilson

Book by Wilson, Lanford

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Realistic Fiction

148 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Lanford Wilson was an American playwright, considered one of the founders of the Off-Off-Broadway theater movement. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1980, was elected in 2001 to the Theater Hall of Fame, and in 2004 was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Reviews

[Luke Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although its plot fell to the wayside, Lanford Wilson's The Mound Builders had sharp characters, specific and incisive writing, and a compelling meditation on taking advantage of cultural anthropological sites and how absorbing yourself in something can ultimately destroy those around you.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing for its role in the mound builders myth across time, but in itself not a book I'll feel compelled to revisit or reread.

[Daryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

35 years ago I "starred" in a production of this play. It was the first play I'd been in as an adult (I was 28 at the time; my last play had been in 6th grade), and began my love affair with live theatre. Talking with someone about this recently, they suggested that maybe it was time for me to revive the play and direct it. An intriguing idea, but I don't think I'll do it. However, it did spur me to reread the play for the first time since acting in it. I remember it well and can visualize the action and hear the voices of those who were in the show with me decades ago. I remember the relationships and interactions of the characters. What I didn't remember was the focus on the archeological dig and the indigenous peoples of the area (the mound builders of the title) and their history. I wonder if we concentrated more on the relationships between characters. It was nostalgic and a blast to read the play once again. Great dialogue, great characters, great action. Maybe I should revive it...

[Kathryn Gritts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent play. Felt like I was right there with the characters. I really enjoyed the plot and the sense of futileness.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm definitely of the opinion that Lanford Wilson was one of the finest playwrights this country ever produced. And for me, while certainly not as accesible as many of his other plays, this is his best and deepest work. Intricately constructed, thematically rich, and with a complex and fascinating cast of characters.

[Martin Foroz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a play that its surface level you have archeologists involved in mounding. But at deep level, it’s a play covering the dichotomies between past, present; between abstract contemplation and sense perception, utilitarianism and aestheticism; Science and Art; between the analytical and differentiating power of
Reason and the synthetic and (re)creative power of the Imagination.