Wings

by Arthur Kopit

Wings takes us into the strange, terrifying, shattered world of a woman who has suffered a stroke. For the woman, time, place, language, speech and thought have lost their meaning, and as we plunge into her confused mind we are engaged with her in trying to come to term with terror and to re-create order and rediscover reality.

Genres: Plays, Drama

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Arthur Lee Kopit (born May 10, 1937, New York City) is an American playwright. He is a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist (Indians and Wings) and a three-time Tony Award nominee: Best Play, Indians, 1970; Best Play, Wings, 1979; and Best Book of a Musical, for Nine, 1982. He won the Vernon Rice Award (now known as the Drama Desk Award) in 1962 for his play Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad and was nominated for another Drama Desk Award in 1979 for his play Wings.[1]

Nine returned to Broadway in 2003 with Antonio Banderas as Guido and won two Tony Awards, including best revival; in 2009 Rob Marshall directed the film Nine based on Kopit's script, the principle cast consisting of Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz, Sophia Loren, Kate Hudson, and Fergie (singer).

Kopit attended Lawrence High School in Lawrence, Nassau County, New York.

Kopit attended Harvard University. His first plays were staged while still an undergraduate at Harvard University. Later, Kopit taught at Wesleyan University, Yale University, and the City College of New York. In 2005, Kopit donated his papers to the Fales Library at NYU.

Reviews

[sarah An · Rating 4 out of 5]

really cool stuff .

[Brice Fuqua · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of an elderly woman recovering from a stroke, Wings was originally a radio play and then expanded for the stage. Having both seen a production and heard the original version, I can testify to the paly's emotional power. When sitting in the audience, you can't help but root for Emily as she struggles to remember words and form meaningful sentences.
Such drama doesn't come across on the page. This is a work you really have to experience live.

[Frankie DeGiorgio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyway this play is brilliant.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This made me really sad. I've gotta stop reading sad plays

[JCSmith]

4pw, what was up with the guy and the pie or whatever in the end (i'm mad she hated my scene this week)

[genevieve · Rating 1 out of 5]

so full of itself

[Nan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emily Stilson has a stroke, loses speech, herself, her place in time. Kopit manages to show the loss, the aphasia, the long struggle out of the confusion all in such a small space. Kopit's preface did prepare me for the "Catastrophe", did help me put the other 2 acts in context. I wonder if I would have been so prepared as an audience member. Would I know what was going on or would I just react with confusion to Emily's confusion? I would love to see this staged. Reading the play is not enough.

[Erin Guydish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't just a must read. It's a work you need to read!