Asahina, Robert. "The Basic Training of American Playwrights: Theatre and the Vietnam War" in Theatre, Vol. 9, Spring, 1978, pp. 30-37.
Asahina argues that Rabe, despite his flaws, is the only dramatist focusing on the Vietnam conflict "concerned with the art of the theater." He considers Streamers Rabe's best work and separates characters into those who, like parachutists, "will float" and those who "will plunge" to their fate.
Beidler, Phillip D. American Literature and the Experience of Vietnam, University of Georgia Press, 1982.
Beidler credits Rabe with producing the most important Vietnam War plays in the 1970s. Streamers is discussed as a play dealing with the brutal influence on soldiers who have yet to go to Southeast Asia, and argues that the character of Carlyle evokes "the dark latencies" in the other major characters.
Hertzbach, Janet.....
This is a free excerpt of 135 words. This section contains 507 words. This
study guide contains 16,908 words (approx. 56 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Literature Guide with our Streamers Access Pass.