''Love-Lies-Bleeding'' is the title of a three-act play by
Don DeLillo. It is his third play and had a world-premiere reading May 2, 2005, at Boise Contemporary Theater in
Boise, Idaho, directed by DeLillo himself. Subsequently the play has been produced at the
Steppenwolf Theater in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, the
Kennedy Center in
Washington, D.C.
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, and again in
Boise at Boise Contemporary Theater. The international premiere was July 7, 2007 in
Sydney, Australia
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and List of cities in Oceania by population, Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metro ...
with
Lee Lewis directing acclaimed Australian actress
Robyn Nevin in the
Sydney Theatre Company
Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in The Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney, as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Thea ...
production.
Plot
The play concerns an artist named Alex Macklin in the last years of his life, and the effect his condition has on his son, Sean, and his second and fourth wives, Toinette and Lia, respectively. After a major second stroke, Alex is left in a
persistent vegetative state and the other characters convene to reach a consensus about his fate. Sean pleads for
mercy killing
Euthanasia (from el, εὐθανασία 'good death': εὖ, ''eu'' 'well, good' + θάνατος, ''thanatos'' 'death') is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering.
Different countries have different eutha ...
, arguing that his father is no longer alive except in a narrow technical sense. Toinette is sympathetic to this idea but later in the play evinces doubt and uncertainty about the
metaphysical
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility. It includes questions about the nature of conscio ...
nature of their undertaking. Lia is initially opposed to the idea, arguing for a natural death without intervention, though later she agrees to Sean's plan to sedate and ultimately end Alex's life with the aid of
morphine
Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a analgesic, pain medication, and is also commonly used recreational drug, recreationally, or to make ...
. The play also contains three scenes portraying earlier episodes in Alex's life with Lia and with Toinette.
Though written before the national debate concerning
Terri Schiavo, the play predicts many of the questions central to that debate and is a powerful meditation on themes of mercy and mortality in the age of advanced medical technology. DeLillo has stated "I suppose this is a play about the modern meaning of life's end. When does it end? How does it end, how should it end? What is the value of life? How do we measure it?"
Critical reception
The play was received to favorable reviews.
John Leonard of
''Harper's'' called the play "brilliant".
[''Harper's Magazine'', January 2006]
References
External links
DeLillo's Play Prepares for Chicago Run– Article from ABC News about the Steppenwolf production in Chicago, April 2006
– Review from ''Variety'' of the Steppenwolf production at the Kennedy Center in June, 2006
{{DEFAULTSORT:Love-Lies-Bleeding
Plays by Don DeLillo
2005 plays