Short Plays, Comedy Charatcers: 2 male, 2 female 3 interior sets Consists of The Way of All Fish, Virtual Reality and In and Out of the Light, three short plays about the collision of wills that were an Off Broadway comedy sensation starring the authors. "Classic comedies ... with subversive details that keep catching you off guard.... The evening ... percolates with actorly inventiveness and a willingness to pursue a warped logic step by ste

"The twenty short plays in this collection vary in cast size from 2 to 7 actors and in length from 8 to 15 minutes. With moods ranging from sentimental to hard-hitting and from heart-warming to heart-wrenching, the wide variety of topics in this book provides ample opportunities for actors to explore stunning character arcs."--Back cover.

Eugene O'Neill, Nobel Laureate in Literature and Pulitzer Prize winner, is widely known for his full length plays. However, his one-act plays are the foundation of his work - both thematically and stylistically, they telescope his later plays. This collection aims to fill the gap by examining these texts, during what can be considered O'Neill's formative writing years, and the foundational period of American drama. A wide-ranging investigation into O'Neill's one-acts, the contributors shed light on a less-explored part of his career and assist scholars in understanding O'Neill's entire oeuvre.

Gathers highlights from the season's ten best plays and information on plays produced in the United States

One of the founding members of the Provincetown Players, Susan Glaspell contributed to American literature in ways that exceed the work she did for this significant theatre group. Interwoven in her many plays, novels and short stories is astute commentary on the human condition. This volume provides an in-depth examination of Glaspell's writing and how her language conveys her insights into the universal dilemma of society versus self. Glaspell's ideas transcended the plot and character. Her work gave prominent attention to such issues as gender, politics, power and artistic daring. Through an exploration of eight plays written between the years of 1916 and 1943--Trifles, Springs Eternal, The People, Alison's House, Bernice, The Outside, Chains of Dew and The Verge--this work concentrates on one of Glaspell's central themes: individuality versus social existence. It explores the range of forces and fundamental tensions that influence the perception and communication of her characters. The final chapter includes a brief commentary on other Glaspell works. A biographical overview provides background for the author's reading and interpretation of the plays, placing Glaspell within the context of literary modernism.