The MuleBone

The Mule Bone is a comedic play co-written by Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston set in a small African-American town in the rural South. The play humorously explores themes of friendship community conflict and the rich oral traditions of African-American culture. It begins with two friends Jim Weston and Dave Carter who get into an argument over Daisy a woman they both admire. The disagreement escalates when Jim hits Dave with a mule bone leading to uproar in the community. The incident divides the town along religious and social lines with one faction siding with Jim and the other with Dave. The town’s church leaders representing different denominations get involved turning the personal quarrel into a community-wide dispute. The trial held in the church is marked by humorous exchanges and highlights the idiosyncrasies of the town’s characters. At its heart the play critiques how trivial conflicts can escalate when influenced by broader social tensions and biases.