Mother Earth

Library Journal

Noted historian and playwright Duberman ( Paul Robeson , LJ 1/89; ``Best Books of 1989,'' LJ 1/90) is a thoughtful explorer of political issues. His drama In White America is a great political play in a literature deficient in political drama. This is another such piece. Originally a TV drama commissioned in the 1970s and never produced because it was considered too radical, it portrays a passionate and compelling woman who tested the health of the democratic system by demanding freedom of speech. Duberman's technique is montage, an exciting visual language which energizes the political rhetoric and shows the consistency of Goldman's life. The conflict comes from idealism versus the immediate needs of food, shelter, and love. If the play is momentarily overwrought, a strong director and cast could amply compensate. This is the stuff of which Emmies are made. Highly recommended.-- Thomas E. Luddy, Salem State Coll., Mass.