History Plays

by Charles L. Mee Jr.

A well established historian, Charles Mee is known in different circles as an avant-garde playwright whose caustic, anarchic plays are often based on historical events. Mee's plays combine wickedly witty dialogue with slapstick comedy, seeking not so much to explain historical events as to show the mindlessness of those who make history. His characters range from Hecuba to Wittgenstein to Claire Booth Luce to Joe Pesci; the settings from Carthage to Palm Beach. Mee's plays have been produced at theaters including the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago; the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles; and the Public Theater in New York City. His collaboration with the choreographer Martha Clark, Vienna: Lusthaus, won the Obie Award for Best Play in 1986.

Genres: Plays

344 pages, Paperback

First published February 20, 1998

About the author

Charles L. Mee is an American playwright, historian and author known for his collage-like style of playwriting, which makes use of radical reconstructions of found texts. He is also a professor of theater at Columbia University. (Source: Wikipedia)