Welcome to Ragtime!



Why Ragtime?
Ragtime tells the story of three communities –Jewish immigrants, the white middle class, and African Americans- who come into contact in early twentieth century New York. In exploring their stories and challenges, Ragtime raises questions that remain highly topical: what is the “American Dream” and who has the right to claim it? What does it mean to be an “American”? How are human beings changed by shifting social landscapes, by each other, and by the power of love?


Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The House on the Hill in New Rochelle

"In 1902, Father built a house at the crest of the Broadview Avenue hill in New Rochelle, New York."


Apparently, Father had a little inspiration from E.L. Doctorow's real house in New Rochelle, New York.

Almost two years after Ragtime opened on Broadway, The New York Times sat down with Doctorow, and learned all about the house that became the setting of Ragtime, and how Doctorow's gently tinted days of lavender, pink, lemon, and lime, influenced his writing of the 1975 novel.