Wit

• Genre: Fiction; drama
• Originally Published: 1995
• Reading Level/Interest: Grades 11-12; college/adult
• Structure/Length: One act; 17 unnumbered scenes; approximately 85 pages; approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes of running time
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The protagonist, Dr. Vivian Bearing, is a university professor specializing in the sonnets of John Donne. Diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer, she undergoes aggressive treatment. As her health declines, Dr. Bearing grapples with her illness, her treatment, and a reevaluation of her life and work, particularly in the context of Donne’s complex, metaphysical explorations of life and death.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Terminal illness; medical procedures; death and mortality; emotional and physical distress

Margaret Edson, Author

• Bio: Born 1961; American playwright; earned her degree from Smith College; wrote Wit while working as a kindergarten teacher; inspired to write the play by her experiences in a hospital setting; has mainly worked in teaching, with a focus on elementary education; authored no other plays
• Awards: Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1999); Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play (1999); New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play (1999)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• The Pursuit of Knowledge
• Death and the Process of Dying
• Autonomy and Humanity
• Wit

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the ethical and theatrical contexts surrounding the discussion of empathy, end-of-life care, and cancer in Edson’s play.