Lanford Wilson's Home Free: A Masterpiece of Writing and a Reflection of His Life and Works

Home Free by Lanford Wilson: A Review

If you are looking for a short but powerful play that explores the dark and twisted aspects of human relationships, you might want to check out Home Free by Lanford Wilson. This one-act play, first performed in 1964, is a disturbing and tragic story of two siblings who live in a fantasy world to escape from their harsh reality. In this article, we will review Home Free by Lanford Wilson and provide a summary, an analysis, and some FAQs about this play.

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Introduction

Home Free is a one-act play by American playwright Lanford Wilson. The play is among Wilson's earlier works, and was first produced off-off-Broadway at the Caffe Cino in 1964.

What is Home Free?

Home Free is a play that tells the story of Lawrence and Joanna, a brother and sister who live together in a small apartment. They are both agoraphobic and have an incestuous relationship that has resulted in Joanna's pregnancy. They also have two imaginary friends, Edna and Claypone, who are part of their elaborate fantasy world. The play shows how Lawrence and Joanna cope with their situation and how their fantasy world collapses as Joanna's labor approaches.

Who is Lanford Wilson?

Lanford Wilson (1937-2011) was an American playwright who was one of the founders of the Off-Off-Broadway theater movement. He wrote over 40 plays, many of which were critically acclaimed and won awards. Some of his most famous plays include Balm in Gilead (1965), The Hot l Baltimore (1973), The Fifth of July (1978), Talley's Folly (1979), Burn This (1987), and Redwood Curtain (1992). He was also a member of the Circle Repertory Company, a theater group that produced many of his plays. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1980 for Talley's Folly.

Why is Home Free important?

Home Free is important because it showcases Wilson's talent for creating realistic and complex characters who struggle with their emotions and identities. The play also explores themes such as incest, isolation, fantasy, death, and birth, which are common in Wilson's works. The play also challenges the conventions of theater by using minimal props, breaking the fourth wall, and blurring the boundaries between reality and illusion. The play also reflects Wilson's interest in astronomy, which he studied at the University of Chicago.

Summary of Home Free

Characters and setting

The play has only two major characters: Lawrence and Joanna. They are brother and sister who live together in a small apartment in New York City. They are both agoraphobic and have an incestuous relationship that has resulted in Joanna's pregnancy. They also have two imaginary friends: Edna, a young girl who lives next door, and Claypone, a cowboy who lives in Texas. These characters are mentioned by Lawrence and Joanna, but have no lines and are not seen on stage.

Plot synopsis

The play begins with Lawrence giving a lesson on astronomy, focusing on the Pleiades. He becomes excited and jumps around the room, imitating the stars being flung in every direction. He then starts talking to himself about Joanna's return from the grocery store and what she has in the "Surprise Box", a brightly colored box that they use to give surprise gifts to each other.

Joanna enters in a panic, having been seen by some frightening entity called either Pruneface or Wienerface, or both. She is pregnant and close to giving birth. She calms down and shows Lawrence what she has in the Surprise Box: a toy gun, a toy car, and a toy horse. They play with the toys and pretend to be cowboys and Indians. They also talk about their imaginary friends, Edna and Claypone, who are supposed to visit them soon.

They then switch to another game, where they pretend to be different animals. They act like cats, dogs, birds, and fish. They also talk about their childhood memories, their parents, and their dreams. They reveal that they ran away from home when they were young and that they have been living together ever since. They also confess their love for each other and their fear of the outside world.

They then switch to another game, where they pretend to be married and have a baby. They name their baby Pleiades, after the star cluster. They act out a scene where they take care of their baby and sing lullabies to him. They also talk about their plans for the future, such as moving to Texas with Claypone or going to the moon with Edna.

However, their fantasy world is interrupted by several signs of reality: a phone call from a doctor who wants to check on Joanna's condition, a knock on the door from a neighbor who complains about the noise, and a radio broadcast that announces a nuclear war. Lawrence tries to ignore these signs and convinces Joanna that they are not real. He also tries to prevent Joanna from going out or calling for help.

As Joanna's labor progresses, she becomes more desperate and realizes that she needs medical attention. She begs Lawrence to go out and get help or let her go out herself. Lawrence refuses and tells her that everything will be fine if they stay home free. He sends Edna to fetch the doctor, but Joanna knows that Edna doesn't exist and can't help them. She screams at Lawrence to go out himself, but he doesn't listen.

The play ends with Joanna dying in Lawrence's arms as he sings a lullaby to their baby. He then talks to Edna and Claypone as if they are still alive and waiting for them outside. He says that they will go out soon and join them in their adventures.

Themes and symbols

The play explores several themes and symbols that are related to the characters' situation and psychology. Some of these themes and symbols are:

• Incest: The play depicts an incestuous relationship between Lawrence and Joanna, who are brother and sister. This relationship is seen as a result of their isolation from society and their attachment to each other. It also represents their regression to a childlike state where they don't recognize the moral or biological implications of their actions.

• Isolation: The play shows how Lawrence and Joanna isolate themselves from the outside world due to their fear and distrust of it. They live in a small apartment that has no windows or doors, except for one that is always locked. They also avoid contact with other people, such as neighbors, doctors, or strangers. They create a fantasy world where they are safe and happy with their imaginary friends.

• Fantasy: The play illustrates how Lawrence and Joanna use fantasy as a coping mechanism for their reality. They invent two imaginary friends, Edna and Claypone, who are part of their games and stories. They also pretend to be different characters or animals that suit their moods or desires. They also ignore or deny any signs of reality that threaten their fantasy world, such as phone calls, knocks on the door, or radio broadcasts.

• Death: The play portrays death as an inevitable consequence of Lawrence and Joanna's situation. Joanna dies from complications during childbirth due to lack of medical care. Their baby also dies with her or shortly after her. Lawrence is left alone in his fantasy world, which is doomed to collapse sooner or later. The play also suggests that death is looming over the outside world as well, as indicated by the radio broadcast that announces a nuclear war.

Analysis of Home Free

Style and structure

Home Free is a one-act play that has a simple and minimalistic style and structure. The play has only two characters, Lawrence and Joanna, who are on stage throughout the entire play. The play has no scenes or acts, but rather flows continuously from one game or conversation to another. The play has no props, except for a few toys that Lawrence and Joanna use for their games. The play has no set, except for a bare room that represents their apartment. The play has no lighting or sound effects, except for a few instances where the phone rings, someone knocks on the door, or the radio plays.

The play also breaks the fourth wall several times, as Lawrence and Joanna address the audience directly or indirectly. For example, Lawrence starts the play by giving a lecture on astronomy to the audience as if they are his students. He also asks the audience to guess what is in the Surprise Box or to join him in his games. Joanna also talks to the audience as if they are her confidants or witnesses. She also asks them to help her or to stop Lawrence from hurting her.

The play also blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy, as Lawrence and Joanna create and inhabit a fictional world that contradicts or ignores their actual situation. They invent two imaginary friends, Edna and Claypone, who are part of their games and stories. They also pretend to be different characters or animals that suit their moods or desires. They also deny or dismiss any signs of reality that threaten their fantasy world, such as phone calls, knocks on the door, or radio broadcasts.

Incest and isolation

One of the main themes of Home Free is incest and isolation. The play depicts an incestuous relationship between Lawrence and Joanna, who are brother and sister. This relationship is seen as a result of their isolation from society and their attachment to each other. They live in a small apartment that has no windows or doors, except for one that is always locked. They also avoid contact with other people, such as neighbors, doctors, or strangers. They create a fantasy world where they are safe and happy with their imaginary friends.

The play also shows how incest and isolation affect their mental and physical health. Lawrence and Joanna are both agoraphobic and have an irrational fear of the outside world. They are also delusional and paranoid, as they believe that there are enemies or dangers lurking outside their apartment. They are also regressive and childish, as they act like children who play games and tell stories. They are also ignorant and naive, as they don't understand the moral or biological implications of their actions.

The play also suggests that incest and isolation are both causes and effects of each other. Lawrence and Joanna isolate themselves from society because they have an incestuous relationship that is taboo and illegal. They also have an incestuous relationship because they isolate themselves from society and have no other sources of love or companionship.

Reality and fantasy

Another major theme of Home Free is reality and fantasy. The play illustrates how Lawrence and Joanna use fantasy as a coping mechanism for their reality. They invent two imaginary friends, Edna and Claypone, who are part of their games and stories. They also pretend to be different characters or animals that suit their moods or desires. They also ignore or deny any signs of reality that threaten their fantasy world, such as phone calls, knocks on the door, or radio broadcasts.

The play also shows how reality and fantasy clash with each other and create tension and conflict in their lives. Lawrence and Joanna's fantasy world is unstable and fragile, as it depends on their mutual agreement and cooperation. Their fantasy world is also unrealistic and unsustainable, as it contradicts or ignores their actual situation. Their fantasy world is also dangerous and harmful, as it prevents them from seeking help or facing their problems.

Death and birth

The final theme of Home Free is death and birth. The play portrays death and birth as two opposite but related forces in life. Joanna's pregnancy is seen as both a blessing and a curse for her and Lawrence. It is a blessing because it represents their love for each other and their hope for the future. It is a curse because it exposes them to danger and suffering from the outside world. Joanna dies from complications during childbirth due to lack of medical care. Their baby also dies with her or shortly after her. Lawrence is left alone in his fantasy world, which is doomed to collapse sooner or later.

The play also suggests that death and birth are looming over the outside world as well, as indicated by the radio broadcast that announces a nuclear war. This implies that the world is facing a potential catastrophe that could wipe out humanity or civilization. The play also implies that death and birth are cyclical and inevitable in nature, as indicated by Lawrence's lesson on astronomy. He explains that the stars are constantly moving and expanding, and that some of them will die and others will be born.

Conclusion

Main points and evaluation

In conclusion, Home Free by Lanford Wilson is a short but powerful play that explores the dark and twisted aspects of human relationships. The play tells the story of Lawrence and Joanna, a brother and sister who live in a fantasy world to escape from their harsh reality. The play also explores themes such as incest, isolation, fantasy, death, and birth, which are common in Wilson's works. The play also challenges the conventions of theater by using minimal props, breaking the fourth wall, and blurring the boundaries between reality and illusion.

The play is a masterpiece of writing, as it creates realistic and complex characters who struggle with their emotions and identities. The play also uses simple and minimalistic style and structure to create a powerful and dramatic effect. The play also uses symbolism and imagery to convey its messages and meanings. The play also reflects Wilson's interest in astronomy, which he studied at the University of Chicago.

Recommendations and alternatives

If you are interested in reading or watching Home Free by Lanford Wilson, you can find it online or in print. You can also find some reviews and analyses of the play online or in books. You can also watch some videos of the play's performances on YouTube or other platforms.

If you are looking for some alternatives to Home Free by Lanford Wilson, you might want to check out some of his other plays, such as The Madness of Lady Bright (1964), Balm in Gilead (1965), The Hot l Baltimore (1973), Talley's Folly (1979), or Burn This (1987). You might also want to check out some other plays that deal with similar themes or topics, such as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee (1962), A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (1947), The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams (1944), or Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (1949).

FAQs

• Q: What is the meaning of the title Home Free?

• A: The title Home Free has multiple meanings in the play. It refers to Lawrence and Joanna's desire to be free from the outside world by staying home. It also refers to their fantasy world where they are free from reality and its problems. It also refers to their childhood game where they shout "Home free!" when they reach a safe place.

• Q: What is the significance of the Pleiades in the play?

• A: The Pleiades is a star cluster that Lawrence teaches about at the beginning of the play. It is also the name that Lawrence and Joanna give to their baby. The Pleiades symbolizes their fantasy world where they are free from reality and its problems. It also symbolizes their hope for the future and their love for each other.

• Q: What is the role of Edna and Claypone in the play?

• A: Edna and Claypone are two imaginary friends that Lawrence and Joanna invent as part of their fantasy world. They are also part of their games and stories. Edna and Claypone represent their need for companionship and adventure. They also represent their denial and escape from reality and its problems.

• Q: What is the message of the play?

• A: The play has multiple messages that can be interpreted differently by different readers or viewers. Some possible messages are: the dangers of isolation and incest, the power and limits of fantasy, the contrast and connection between death and birth, and the importance and difficulty of facing reality.

• Q: How does the play relate to Wilson's life and works?

• A: The play relates to Wilson's life and works in several ways. The play reflects Wilson's interest in astronomy, which he studied at the University of Chicago. The play also reflects Wilson's experience of living in New York City and being part of the Off-Off-Broadway theater movement. The play also explores themes such as incest, isolation, fantasy, death, and birth, which are common in Wilson's works.

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