The Green Pastures

by Thomas Cripps (Editor)

The Green Pastures , a 1936 black folk-classic film, has long captured the attentions of audiences both black and white. It is a picture to be appreciated not merely for its entertainment value or cinematic techniques but also for its place in the history of American social change. We are now offered the best guide to our understanding of both, with Thomas Cripps's substantial introduction and learned annotations of the script, along with the accompanying shooting script itself, never before published.

Genres: Plays, Fiction, Drama

228 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1929

Reviews

[David]

It's not a new story, the biblical Old Testament ... it's not a new voice, the common variants of the U.S. South (especially as heard from Black speakers by white ears) ... it's not an especially funny story, though even in the King James Bible version (which we all know was good enough for Jesus so should be good enough for us) it has some comic moments ... The Green Pastures version of the story won the Pultizer Prize -- "The 1930 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Drama For the original American play, performed in New York, which shall best represent the educational value and power of the stage" (sayeth, pulitzer.org) ... WHY? ... Because it was 1930, I suppose ... seems to me, nearly 100 years later, that the only thing that is 'original' and 'funny' in this play is the way the familiar story is told in an unexpected, yet familiar voice ... in short, the appeal of The Green Pastures seems to rest on laughing at Black people ...

[Anna Muthalaly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fundamentally racist. Again, amazing it was the first all black cast on Broadway, props for writing a Black God and complex and interesting Black characters but like, the author’s intro is nauseating. Hard to give credit for Black complexity when it’s predicated on the very clearly spelled-out idea that Black people are too simple and illiterate to understand God as mystically as white people do.

The most interesting thing about this play comes towards the end, with a genuinely eyebrow raising attitude toward’s God’s choice to send down Jesus. This play doesn’t seem to frame it as a choice of God’s? The character of God is interesting, that’s about all this play has. Elsewise, it is nothing but literally derivative, in the sense that it is stolen from short stories that are themselves nonsense imaginings of what Black people “probably” think.

This was the 14th play I read in my quest to read everything awarded the Pulitzer Prize for drama.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not surprising this Pulitzer Prize winner is mostly forgotten today. While I can see its value circa 1930 and appreciate its attempt to celebrate African-American spiritual tradition and culture, from a 21st century perspective, the play features stereotypes that border on the offensive. Not recommended.

[TheQueensBooksII · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a dated play by today's standards, but at the time it was written & produced I think it might have been called "cutting edge." It is an all-Black cast in a story about Genesis. It was at times hilariously funny, deeply poignant and always thought-provoking.

[Brian McCann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my!! Just terrible.

Can’t fathom any positive about this Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

Purposefully stereotypic.

[Anna Gernand · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good play. not a fan that it was written by a white author, rises some morality issues. however, a decent play.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Green Pastures is a mystery play in the tradition of old English drama, reimagined from the psychological viewpoint of a 1920’s African-American preacher in Louisiana. Each of the Old Testament scenes is reinterpreted in scenes familiar to the life of the participants in the play. In this way, Connelly serves to document. I will admit the language is tough to read, stilted as it is, and the play seems dated at this point. It was not my favorite.

[Greg Olsen · Rating 2 out of 5]

If ever a play needed an introduction, this was it. It is rather antiquated for a modern audience and made me feel weird (I would liken it to watching Disney's Song of the South). I would like to have read an introduction placing it in the time in which it was written. This is a play I would not recommend reading.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, the play was better than the movie. I have been looking for the short stories that the play is based on for years.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most delightful telling of the Old Testament people and their prophets in play format, featuring the Southern Blacks and their culture, starring God, the Lawd.

[Brian Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique approach to retelling biblical events. The progress through scripture is nicely given with enough twists to not make it feel summarized.

[Phair · Rating 2 out of 5]

High school class assignment.