The Skin of our Teeth

The Skin of Our Teeth was produced on Broadway in 1942 and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1943. Written on the eve of WW2, it’s a vast symbolic play about all of humanity, as well as a compassionate look at the struggles of a single family. It’s about destruction and rebirth, about humanity’s endurance. It’s also, as a double narrative, the story of a theater company putting on a play, with actors who don’t understand the play, confer with the audience about not liking the play, and get food poisoning during the play. It’s a comedy, a social and political commentary, and a biblical epic. It’s got wonderful roles for women and men, as well as a dinosaur and a mammoth.