Wesker, Arnold, 1932–, English playwright, b. London. At various times he has been a carpenter's mate, a seed sorter, and a pastry cook. His plays Chicken Soup with Barley (1958), Roots (1958), and I'm Talking about Jerusalem (1960) form a trilogy about a family of Jewish Communist intellectuals. His socialist point of view is reflected in his other plays, notably The Kitchen (1961), Chips with Everything (1962), and The Four Seasons (1969). His later plays include The Wedding Feast (1974) and The Old Ones (1972), which describes the enforced isolation of the elderly.
See studies by G. Leeming and S. Trussler (1971), R. Hayman (1973), and G. Leeming (1982).
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