Dybiec Holm is a published writer and editor with a master's degree in natural resources. In this essay, Dybiec Holm discusses multiple sources of tension in Uhry's story that make it so effective.

In all storytelling, including drama, tension is a necessary element that makes the story interesting. Tension can be created by conflicts that characters need to overcome or by obstacles that their environment presents to these characters. In Alfred Uhry's The Last Night of Ballyhoo, tensions abound, creating layers of nuances and dilemmas. These make for an interesting play and quickly let one know that this story goes far beyond the surface.

The primary source of tension in this play is the characters' shame and denial of their own Jewish religion. But Uhry takes an already interesting premise and adds additional twists. The characters live in the South and are a minority in Atlanta, a...