The sand castle : an extended family of inspiration

Written for Dramatic Lit, taught by Dr. David Crespy, Fall 2015 semester.The first place prize for the 2015 Undergraduate Research Paper Contest was awarded for this paper by Lelise Howard. From the first paragraph: "You never know who is going to walk in and change your life. Sometimes there is a onetime interaction in a coffee shop. Sometimes a new family is born. American playwright, Lanford Wilson, found a family that helped inspire, enrich, catapult and advise his career. The Sand Castle, which Lanford Wilson wrote in 1965, delves into the psychological word of the creative Renolds family in San Diego. The rich development of characters in The Sand Castle, specifically the character Sasha, can be traced to Wilson's personal connection with his San Diego State classmates and the Brown family who inspired the Renolds family, during his time in California. The Lanford Wilson Collection of archival sources in the University of Missouri Libraries' Special Collections and Rare Books sector contain materials which help reveal the close relationship between Wilson, Sasha, whose real name was Tanya Newton (better known as Tanya Rose) and the rest of the Brown family. The archives contain many manuscripts of The Sand Castle but also very personal letters, which provide insight into Wilson's relationships and how these relationships influenced and enhanced his overall experience and writing career.