One Act: Eleven Short Plays of the Modern Theater

by Samuel Moon (Editor)

These eleven one-act plays present the major figures of the modern theatre in an art form that demands from the dramatist the best in vigor, intensity, and precision. They conduct the reader on a historical tour of the modern play, from the naturalism of Strindberg to the intellectual drama of Pirandello; from the lyrical drama of Saroyan to the social drama of Arthur Miller and the psychological drama of Tennessee Williams; from the verse of Yeats and MacLeish to Ionesco’s theatre of the absurd.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Theatre

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Maryjane Nordgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

so much emotional power packed into such a small space and time span

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of one-act plays I'd mostly never heard of by writers that I mostly really like. I particularly enjoyed the Arthur Miller selection, "A Memory of Two Mondays," Tennessee Williams' "27 Wagons Full of Cotton," and Thorton Wilder's "Pullman Car Hiawatha." Mostly from the 1940s and 1950s, with an oldie but a goodie by August Strindberg ("Miss Julie") thrown in for good measure.

[Martin Bihl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great selection of plays. Nice variety.