Neil Simon Biloxi Blues Play Analysis

The comical, semi-autobiographical and prejudicial play written by Neil Simon, Biloxi Blues, captured my attention years ago. This play was actually the sequel to Simon’s, Brighton Beach Memoirs, however, it isn’t necessary to have seen or read the first of the sequel, but the play does pick up or continue with the main character and others heading to boot camp. For me, born into a military family, and then marrying a retired military man, the choice to read and write about this play was quite easy for me. The military stories shared throughout the years of my life made this two-act play comfortable to follow. From the beginning of the play, the characters draw the reader into the experiencing they are currently facing. Over the course of my analysis of this play, the plot, characters, theme, diction, music, spectacle, and convention will
The reader or audience could definitely find themselves connecting with one or more of the characters. A train depot, the Mississippi murky waters used for physical training, a city hall used for the USO dance and a soda shop used for one of the scenes are just a few of the conventions used in this play. Also, I would have to include in this component is the way the main character, Eugene Jerome, speaks his personal thoughts directly as though he is narrating the story. Biloxi Blues, a Tony Award Winning Comedy, is another great play written by Pulitzer Prize-winning, American playwright, Neil Simon. Even though this play was part of a series, the play provides enough entertainment to stand alone. Every component of this play captured my attention, maybe I am partial to the setting or maybe partial to the theme, whichever it may be, it is a must read and a must