A collection of one-act plays from American playwrights, which cover such themes as love, fantasy, politics, grief, marriage, crime, and deceit.

What would you do if you suddenly realized you had the choice to change how you lived? Would you follow the path you’re on or take a risk, knowing it could mean letting go of everything and everyone familiar? Ella Staines appears to live a happy, busy life in a leafy suburb; she has a husband in a good profession, grown-up kids who come and go, and fulfilling work. So why does she feel as if she’s suffocating? Has she really forgotten who she is? Ella sets out on a journey that questions the very concept of marriage. Her quest for deeper meaning and a different understanding of spirituality leads to unexpected results that threaten to tip her over the edge. Along the way, she encounters some of her old demons—patterns, power trips, and egoistic ways—that had seemed so comfortable and that had once defined her existence. Now she must swim away from them to build a new life for herself, no matter where that may lead. In this novel, a woman leaves her life behind—her thirty-year marriage, home, family, and friends—to search for a new meaning and purpose for herself.

Having relocated to Perth, cancer surgeon Aresh Mehta is preparing to settle down in life. Travelling with him is an unsigned painting that he came across – and kept – more than a decade earlier. Haunted by the violent scene it depicts, Aresh decides that the time has come for him to find out who painted it and if it has any value. Local art experts cannot pinpoint the artist and choose instead to focus on a distinctive work of art, painted in miniature, and shown hanging on the wall of the plush suburban study in which the violence has been set. The search into the origins of this small painting uncovers deep familial connections stretching from London to Melbourne and on to Sydney. And, as the investigation into the crime portrayed in Aresh’s painting advances, people determined to prevent the shocking truth from emerging are alerted, holding nothing back to avoid being exposed. The Masked Ball is a story about the abiding strength of our attachment to the paintings we possess and to the stories that lie beneath their making.

The story follows the journey of Ella, a talented young woman with a captivating voice and a tragic past. Once a part of a loving family, her life takes a dramatic turn after her father's sudden disappearance at sea. Left in the care of her cruel stepmother and stepsisters, Ella is reduced to servitude in her own home. Yet, her love for music and her cherished pet, Mr. Fluffy, provide her solace and strength in the face of adversity. Amid the challenges of her life, Ella discovers her hidden talent as a singer and transforms into the enigmatic and renowned "Aria Serenade" in the glittering palaces of France. Her mesmerizing performances captivate the nobility, and her enchanting voice becomes the talk of the town. However, as she navigates the complexities of her dual identity, Ella becomes entangled in a web of love and destiny. Her heart belongs to Prince William, the crown prince of France, with whom she shares a secret love. Their paths intersect, leading to profound moments of connection and tenderness. Still, the constraints of royal obligations threaten to keep them apart. As the story unfolds, Ella's journey takes her from the opulent courts of France to the Royal Court in Germany, where her life has changed in extraordinary circumstances. The past is unveiled, secrets are revealed, and the power of love and forgiveness prevails.