The Shrike

by Joseph Kramm

Jim Downs is brought to the psychiatric division of City Hospital after a suicide attempt. With the help of his es-tranged wife, who is with him night and day, he recovers. But this does not mean he is free to go home. His estranged wife conspires to keep Jim in the hospital until he renounces his girlfriend and agrees to go back with her. In the process, Jim is faced with well-meaning but inept institutional psy-chiatrists, who themselves have become victims of deadly routine. Through one test after another he is made to prove his sanity, until he almost loses it. Realizing the power of institutional law, Jim proceeds to give the "right answers," until he is finally released in the custody of his wife. Finally free, Jim knows that by compromising his integrity he has simply chosen the lesser of two evils.

Genres: Plays, Drama

86 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Joseph A. Kramm (30 September 1907, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – 8 May 1991) was an American playwright, actor, and director. He received Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1951 for his play The Shrike, later adapted into a motion picture of the same title in 1955.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple effective moments, but, ultimately this is a hoary classic best left in the dustbin of theatrical history.

[Diane Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a thriller! It reveals the trapping of a man in an institution and the full control of his wife. It gives one shivers to envision being in this situation and wanting a way out!

[Anna Muthalaly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a marital drama/evil wife play set in a psych ward that mimics some of the Pulitzer winners in the 20s but beefs it up with pretty cogent criticisms of the psychiatric industry of the 50s. It’s, easy to read in interesting themes here that maybe weren’t intended by Kramm— swirling criticisms of the normative American culture that simply couldn’t stick post world wars.

The play is a little cluttered but, it works as a thriller and it’s a quick little read.

This was the 29th play I read in my quest to conquer the Pulitzer Prize for drama

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what I expect from a Pulitzer-winning play: tension, drama, plenty of room for actors and directors to interpret the story, and an emotional conflict that drives the story from curtain to curtain.

The play begins with Jim Downs brought into a city hospital following an attempted suicide. Separated from his wife and professionally unsuccessful, Downs is put in the psych wards under observation. Once recovered, he’s anxious to get back to his old life, but his attempts to do so are continually blocked by medical personnel and his doting wife.

I don’t want to give much away, but the way the play twists and turns, despite the simplicity of its story, creates so many options for interpretation. It’s an engaging work of drama and might be one of my favorite of the Pulitzer winners. Recommended.