Five Plays

by Samuel D. Hunter

"An important new voice in the American theater."— Los Angeles Times "If there's a soul adrift—physically or spiritually—in the Gem State, chances are good he sprang from the fertile pen of Samuel D. Hunter."— Playbill "Mr. Hunter . . . writes with unusual insight into, and empathy for, people whose lives have settled into sad stasis, or strategic withdrawal . . . [He is] sure-footed when it comes to illuminating characters from within."— New York Times "Hunter is a playwright who crafts moving portraits of unlikely protagonists and explores the human capacity for empathy through the prism of his characters' struggles . . . Hunter's quietly captivating dramas confront the polarizing and socially isolating aspects of contemporary life across the American landscape."—MacArthur Foundation By depicting the everyday trials of ordinary Americans, critically acclaimed playwright Samuel D. Hunter "writes with unusual insight into, and empathy for, people whose lives have settled into sad stasis" ( New York Times ). Hunter's compassionate eye for the quiet, lonely struggles of his Idahoan characters makes his plays desperately and painfully human. The talented writer demonstrates his knack for exposing the pathos in marginalized lives with these four poignant new Rest , A Great Wilderness , The Few , and Pocatello . Samuel D. Hunter 's plays include The Whale (Drama Desk Award; Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play, GLAAD Media Award, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle nominations for Best Play) and A Bright New Boise (Obie Award, Drama Desk nomination for Best Play). His newest plays include The Few, A Great Wilderness , Rest , and Pocatello . He is the recipient of a 2014 MacArthur "Genius Grant" Fellowship, a 2012 Whiting Writers Award, the 2013 Otis Guernsey New Voices Award, the 2011 Sky Cooper Prize, and the 2008 PONY/Lark Fellowship. A native of northern Idaho, Sam lives in New York. He holds degrees in playwriting from NYU, The Iowa Playwrights Workshop, and Juilliard.

Genres: Plays, Drama

456 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 15, 2016

Reviews

[Sam Hayes · 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.