Spine Theory in Theatres: Analysis of Topdog/Underdog

This essay delves into the concept of spine theory in theatre, using Suzan-Lori Parks's play, Topdog/Underdog, as a case study. The essay begins by introducing the play and its themes of struggle, class, and racial issues within contemporary American society. It then explains spine theory as the central backbone of a play, encompassing its central idea, theme, and theatrical concepts. The analysis focuses on how Parks uses this theory to depict the challenges faced by the African-American brothers, Lincoln and Booth, highlighting themes of creed, class, and the post-race issue. The essay discusses the director's perspective on intensifying these themes through setting, music, and the emphasis on key scenes. It concludes by emphasizing the importance of the play's final phase in highlighting the theme of self-destruction among the black community. The essay incorporates references to various scholarly articles to support its arguments, providing a comprehensive understanding of spine theory in the context of theatrical analysis. The essay emphasizes the importance of the play's final phase in highlighting the theme of self-destruction among the black community.

Running head: SPINE THEORY IN THEATRES
SPINE THEORY IN THEATRES
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Introduction
“I think the meaning of the play isn’t just confined to a man’s experience… I think it’s
about what it means to be family and, in the biggest sense, the family of man, what it means to
be connected with somebody else (Parks).”
Topdog/Underdog, a play by American playwright Suzan-Lori Parks is the first female
winner of Pulitzer Prize of the year 2002 (LeMahieu). The play based on the life of two African-
American brothers Lincoln and Booth portrays their struggle to cope up with the advanced
lifestyle of the Americans. The plot of the play from the very beginning sets the tone of the
struggle of existence that the two brothers encountered from their birth itself.
The Theory of Spine
The term “Spine” in a play refers to a unified structure of the play and is considered to be
the main backbone of the play. The theory of spine or backbone, as it name, suggests is derived
from the concept human backbone or spinal cord. Likewise, the spine of a play is the main
strength of it as it incorporates the entire framework of the theatre that includes the central idea,
theme and the other theatrical concepts of the play.
In the play the major theme emphasized by Suzan-Lori Parks is the theme of creed and
class in the contemporary American society (Larson). Suzan-Lori as a playwright was
vehemently against the social hierarchy that was predominant in the then American society as
throughout the play he presented how both the brothers struggled to survive against the class
division that existed at that time in the American society. Since the brothers were not from the
so-called “the white men” class, they suffered from racial issues in every social aspect (Maley).

2SPINE THEORY IN THEATRES
Even though both the brothers Lincoln and Booth were from the society of African-
American, their name was given after an US president who brought an end to the system of
slavery that existed in the society for a long period of time. This was a deliberate attempt of the
dramatist as she tried to depict President Lincoln through his character Lincoln who was
murdered for his revolutionary attempt to erase the notion of slavery forever from the country
(Kolin, and Young). The killing of Lincoln illustrated how Lincoln’s virtuous work was
“murdered” almost on a regular basis as the country encountered racial concerns.
The play dramatized on the reality of dog-eat-dog world, presented the contradiction that
exists between visions of a possible life and the harsh reality in which the ultimate tendency of
realizing that life is a gamble (Abid). The elder brother Lincoln who was formerly a card hustler
faced a conflict with his younger brother Booth, a petty thief and a wannabe asked him to join
him in the gamble game Three-card Monte. Booth being hustled by Lincoln and stood up by his
lady-love Grace killed both Lincoln and Grace and hence he is symbolized as an obstacle in the
path of righteousness. The end of the play where Booth kills his brother Lincoln is very much
significant as it explained the logic that blacks have no one to accuse but themselves for their
own violence as it is an issue of “individual” responsibility. This symbolizes the theme of post-
race issue that was quite prevalent in America (LeMahieu).
As a director, in order to intensify the theme and the settings of the plot I would have
made minor changes in the play. The settings that I would prefer to focus must cover the period
after the assassination of the President when confusion and chaos were at its peak. This is
because it will present the political dilemma and unrest that the country faced at that juncture of
time (Abid). Since the play is a dark comedy the music that will be chosen will be related to the
contemporary American folk revival and Blues and Black American music as it would have

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simply amplified the plot of chaos and confusion and the patriotism that the play aimed at
(LeMahieu). This theme would also highlight the claustrophobic life led by the people during
that time. It is very evident that inclusion of all these stage settings and musicals would have
increased the cost for stage performance of the play. As a result, there will be a rise on the
process of dramatizing the theme and plot of the play.
The moments and the scenes that will be emphasized by me to intensify the theme of
racial discrimination would include the post-race phase and the last phase of the play which is
the ultimate climax in the play. Post-race phase will be emphasized by presenting the scene
where Booth and Lincoln is recollecting how their father once criticized “the white man” when
all the tires on his car went punctured. This scene would recognize that it is the black themselves
who are responsible for their own oppression as it is a cultural “paranoia” made by their own
belief. To conclude, I will give special attention to the last phase of the drama as it would
highlight the blacks’ themselves are the demolisher of their own peace.

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References
Abid, Sabrina A. "The Pursuit of Happiness: The State of the American Dream in Suzan-Lori
Parks's Topdog/Underdog." (2012).
Kolin, Philip C., and Harvey Young, eds. Suzan-Lori Parks in Person: Interviews and
Commentaries. Routledge, 2013.
Larson, Jennifer. Understanding Suzan-Lori Parks. Univ of South Carolina Press, 2012.
LeMahieu, Michael. "The theater of hustle and the hustle of theater: play, player, and played in
Suzan-Lori Parks's Topdog/Underdog." African American Review 45.1 (2012): 33-47.
Maley, Patrick. "What Is and What Aint: Topdog/Underdog and the American Hustle." Modern
Drama 56.2 (2013): 186-205.
Parks, Suzan-Lori. Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3). Theatre
Communications Group, 2015.