Metzger is a Ph.D., specializing in literature and drama at The University of New Mexico. In the following essay, Metzger discusses the creation of character in Hot L Baltimore.

The 1970s were a decade of protests: protests over the war in Vietnam, protests for women's rights, and protests about racial inequities. It was a decade to rethink our nation's history. It is only right that Lanford Wilson's play Hot L Baltimore focuses on the importance of preserving America's cities, while embracing each character's personal history, since he presents the notion that history is worth remembering and savoring.

It is primarily the individual characters that bring Wilson's play to life. He manages to imbue each one with a unique spirit that makes it especially difficult for audiences to select a favorite. Each character whether a prostitute, the forgotten elderly, or the soon-to-be-unemployed hotel staff brings a humanity...