Dr. Ashford, in town for her great-grandson's birthday, visits the hospital after learning of Vivian's cancer. She comforts her and offers to read a Donne sonnet, but Vivian, scarcely conscious, declines. Instead, Ashford reads from Margaret Wise Brown's The Runaway Bunny, which she had bought for her great-grandson. Dr. Ashford kisses a sleeping Vivian, quotes Hamlet, and leaves. While on a routine visit, Jason notices Vivian has stopped breathing and has no pulse. He immediately calls in a "code blue" and begins CPR, despite the DNR order. Susie enters on hearing the code blue announcement, attempts to stop Jason's efforts, and calls to cancel the code. The resuscitation team arrives with a crash cart and attempts to revive Vivian while Susie tries to intervene, repeating that Vivian is DNR. Jason eventually admits his mistake, and upon examining the chart, the team quickly stops. The play ends as Vivian, unclothed after her death, walks from her hospital bed "toward a little light". Characters Vivian Bearing, PhD – 50 years old, a professor of seventeenth-century poetry at the university, diagnosed with stage IV, metastatic ovarian cancer Harvey Kelekian, MD – 50 years old, chief of medical oncology at the University Hospital Jason Posner, MD – 28 years old, a clinical fellow at the Medical Oncology branch; former student of Dr. Bearing, current student of Dr. Kelekian. Susie Monahan, BSN, RN – 28 years old, Dr. Bearing's primary nurse Dr E M Ashford, PhD – 80 years old, professor emerita of English literature; Vivian's former college professor Mr. Bearing, Vivian's father Assorted lab technicians and students Awards Wit won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play also received the "Best New Play" award for 1999 from the New York Drama Critics' Circle. Because the play did not receive a production at a Broadway theatre, Wit was not eligible for the Tony Awards at that time. Chalfant received an Obie award from the Village Voice for her performance. The 2012 Broadway production was nominated for the Tony Award, Best Revival of a Play, and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play (Cynthia Nixon). Adaptations In 2001, the play was adapted into an Emmy Award-winning cable television film, directed by Mike Nichols with Emma Thompson as Vivian Bearing. References External links (archive) Wendy Guida, "The Village Voice Obies" (May 18, 1999). TalkinBroadway.org web page, Off Broadway article New Theatre,