Customer Reviews:
 One of the lesser known, great African-American playwrights July 11, 2003
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Ron Milner is one of the great overlooked African-American writers of our time. Perhaps it is because he writes plays--something most people never take the time to read. I can only imagine how great these would be performed. Milner's works are largely didactic--I have read reviews that liken them to Christian morality plays. But, the didacticism is not necessarily preachy--Milner writes what he knows. What he knows is the life of inner-city, poor, African-American youth and the temptations they face. Dealing with those temptations--drugs, sex, easy money--is the thread that connects most of Milner's works. Even Checkmates, which is ostensibly about the generation gap, has a certain amount of tension because of "easy money"--the older generation thinks the younger generation has it too easy. Critical reception of Milner's works has been mixed, though predominantly reception has been poor. He has a few stalwart supporters (Amiri Baraka and Woodie King) who feel Milner is the chronicler of the inner-city African-American youth rising out of the Black Theater movement to become the chronicler of middle class African-Americans. I think his works are certainly worth a read.
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