Joseph Kramm

A shrike is a predatory carnivorous songbird that impales its victims on thorns or other spiky objects - and then devours them bit by bit... This powerful but somewhat flawed 1952 Broadway play concerns a middle-aged man who, after attempting suicide, is manipulated by his estranged wife so that she can regain control of his life. The stark psychiatric ward and its strict, rigid protocols provide a harrowing backdrop. Though insightful with regard to human behaviors and motivations, there is insufficient marital backstory provided to really understand the troubled dynamic between the husband and wife.… (meer)