Zoot Suit premiered twenty years later in 1979, after the civil rights movement. Each play addresses issues of racism in the United States. Compare and contrast the literary tone of each play. In relation to racism. What differences do you notice in the two plays, and what does that tell you about the ongoing evolution of American theatre and American attitudes?

Plays are works of literature. “Literary tone” refers to the attitude(s) the playwright (author) adopts toward the subject matter of his or her work, and toward the anticipated audience.