Sight Unseen

Does commercial success dilute the quality of an artist’s work? In a world where the publicists and marketing machines are more important than ever, is it harder for artists to find inspiration and passion in their work? How much is the artist defined by his roots, race, or religion? In an interview, playwright Donald Margulies spoke of the emotional struggle he experienced in coming to terms with the growing fame of his plays, and he pointed out that writing Sight Unseen served as the bridge he needed to accommodate his move from Brooklyn to the larger world. The play, which won a 1992 Obie Award for Best New American Play, debuted the same year at the Off-Broadway Orpheum Theater.