Five Plays

by Samuel D. Hunter

Samuel D. Hunter’s plays are populated with characters from the bleak side of the American economy. Laced with poetic images yet drawn with meticulous realism, Hunter’s plays linger in franchise restaurants, retirement facilities, mountain camps and struggling businesses. The five plays collected here, all set in Hunter’s home state of Idaho, demonstrate this writer’s knack for exposing, without condescension or easy moralizing, the pathos in marginalized lives.

Genres: Plays, Drama

400 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2016

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Very fitting that I read this during family vacations. Still not sure if Pocatello wants me to stay in a small town or gtfo, or if it’s better to be unhappy with family or risk going out on your own. I guess family is what you make it and as long as you’re willing to do the work all you have to do is find some people who want to do the work with you, no matter if they’re related to you or not. And if you’re unhappy with your assigned family there’s no reason to force yourself to be a closeted gay managing a Olive Garden in your hometown, trying to make it work. Life is too short not to move away and do your own thing. This is a little rambling but I’m on my second cup of coffee and I’m not in the editing mood. TL;DR

[Mark Cofta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of five plays. I've seen some of Hunter's better known plays (The Whale, A Bright New Boise) and was surprised that he's so prolific. Each of these five plays is rooted in a bleak modern Idaho; all in some way deal sensitively with gay characters. They don't blend together, though. Each is a unique and engaging work of theater, providing great roles (often for older actors) and theatrical challenges. I would love to see these plays performed, especially West and A Permanent Image.