Christopher Durang Volume I: 27 Short Plays

by Christopher Durang

A collection of works by Christopher Durang. Twenty-seven short plays Woman Stand-up, Titanic, The Actor's Nightmare, A Stye of the Eye, For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls, and Wanda's Visit.

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Drama, Comedy, Humor, Fiction

419 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Alec]

#4
NARRATOR: The school psychologists were highly critical of Nina's behavior, but she was uninterested in their judgments. And then when Louis Malle made Murmur of the Heart she called them up and said:

#9
Thank you. I am a stand-up comedienne, but I'm too insecure to go anywhere without my laugh track. My mother says I'm not only worthless, but I'm not funny. I wish my mother would die. Then I'd have everybody over for brunch and serve Bloody Mary's made with her blood.

#11
MARCUS: Yes, but you have to mourn Susan, to mourn. I always thought the Irish were right to do all that keening. Do you want to keen, Susan?

#17
BLANCHE: Mr. Kowalski doesn't like poetry. He rejects the elevated visions of Wordsworth, Sheets and Kelly. (Correcting herself.) Kates and Shelley. Keets and Shelley. And Gerard Manly Hophead. Hopscotch. Oh, I'm all confused.

#22
ELEANOR: I was the year we lived in Union that did it. Donald used to be such a quiet boy; but the other children were so rough in Union. He had to learn how to defend himself. They used to fight with Coke bottles and power saws.

#25
RICHARD: I said, am I the father of my daughter?
VICTORIA: Who? Annabella? Let me think. (Thinks for awhile. Reminisces about a sexy encounter, then shakes head no. Thinks about a few other encounters, still no. Then recalls something unpleasant, and shakes her head affirmatively.) Yes.

[S. Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not being an avid reader or attender of stage plays, I had never heard of Christopher Durang until five or six years ago, when I stumbled upon a cable-produced adaptation of his play "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You." Irreverent humor lampooning religious belief systems is a favorite genre of mine, along with gun-wielding nuns, so I wasted no time in picking up this collection of short plays.

While Durang is basically a humorist, many of his plays involve the lampooning of other plays. This can be a detriment to a reader who, like me, is unable to pick out the subtle stabs at the set design and dialog patterns of other well known playwrites. But it is a minor stumbling block, and not a mjor obstacle to enjoy Durang's offbeat sense of humor.

If you aren't hip to the stage scene, but still enjoy humor with an edge, do what I did. Pick up this collection for "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You", then peruse the rest with an open mind.

[Dan Blackley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book of short plays that Christopher Durang wrote. I’ve done some of these plays, but a lot of these plays have subject matter and situations that are not appropriate for the high school level. I think that the parodies of the place like for whom the southern Bell tolls are really funny only if you’ve read the play that they’re making fun of which most theater people have but your average layman has not.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of one-acts are not as impressive to me at 37. I was maybe easier to amuse 20 years ago? But a few of them are still highly amusing to me. Ones like An Actor's Nightmare and Sister Mary. I really liked a few others. Some missed the mark for me. For example, A Stye of the Eye and the Hardy Boys one to name a couple. I felt a few tried too hard.

[Chambers Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading these the day Durang passed. He has always been one of my favorites but until he died I had not read many of his short plays. This volume has a lot of older plays. Some are stiff. Some are minor and sketch like. But The Hardy Boys and the Mystery of where Babies Come From is one of the funniest plays I have ever read. The volume deserves 5 stars if only for that little seen gem!

[behsforensics]

Cutting is for Medea
By Christopher Durang and Wendy Wasserstein

Another cutting is for For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls
By Christopher Durang

Still another cutting is for 1-900-Desperate
By Christopher Durang

Yet another cutting is for The Hardy Boys - The Mystery of Where
Babies Come From
By Christopher Durang

Look for Book of Leviticus Show, The
Durang, Christopher

[Jennifer Tacbas · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are in the mood for some laugh-out-loud and, at times, absolutely bizarre, outrageous comedic situations, you MUST read this collection of one-act plays by Christopher Durang. Always funny, never politically correct, Durang's characters slap you in the face with rude, crude humor that every college theater student loves.

In college, I directed "Wanda's Visit" and portrayed the role of Thomas, the 7-year-old choir boy, in "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You." (which does not appear in this book, but is a must-read)

If you are easily offended, this is not the book for you.

If you enjoy this selection of Durang's works, there's a hell of a lot more where that came from.

Enjoy!

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher Durang is one of my biggest playwriting inspirations, and this collection provides a fantastic look into his progress and process. The plays are, in most cases, extremely short, and a quick and valuable read for any student actor on the hunt for scene work or monologues. Durang has his own brilliant, acerbic voice--shades of Orton perhaps, in the outrageous violence, but decidedly American and decidedly theatrical. Even his short plays deal with major Durangian themes. It's a great anthology for any Durang fan; I think my favorites here are Nina in the Morning and Naomi in the Living Room.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have for anyone who loves the American theater, this book first crossed my path in college and a recent reading salon got me to crack it open and read it again. Excellent pieces, funny and poignant, some totally insane, some perfect examples of the short play form, all worth reading. Durang's constant commentary provides its own insights and humor about the creative process of a writer and how his career has developed, by hook and by crook, over the decades. An unquestionably good source of material and inspiration alike.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some are genius, some are just plain insane, some aren't as great as the others, but as a whole, the book is great. It proves that Durang, although absolutely crazy, is quite a genius.

Note: I'll be directing: DMV Tyrant, Funeral Parlor, and Medea.
I was in For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls as Amanda.
I've directed: Naomi in the Living Room.

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

christopher durang is seriously strange. it's really easy to miss when your aim is "disturbingly funny", but this guy nails it. his characters are larger than life and out of control, his stories take some violent turns you never see coming, and the text itself seems to shine with a gleeful, jagged, "black hole sun" video smile. absolutely untethered.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took this out of the library because I'm doing one of the plays in an acting class I'm taking. I like Christopher Durang's sense of humor. I think it fits with my own sense. He gives a lot of background on the original productions of each play and how he came up with them, and also gives notes to actors playing some of the roles in each.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher Durang is one of my favorite playwrights. "The Hardy Boys and the Mystery of Where Babies Come From" will always hold a special place in my heart, as it was the one-act I directed in undergrad.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't miss "For Whom the Southern Bell Tolls."

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Durang is hilarious! He is one of my favorite playwrites, for sure.

[Emma Alling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complete wackness.

[Cat J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher Durang is a hilariously brilliant playwright. He takes humor from everyday life and either makes it a complete riot or a heartfelt experience.

[Andrea Burrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely entertaining and funny! Performed these plays in college and had a blast!

[Echo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for beginning directors, there's a variety of show lengths. Very funny shows with a lot of room to play around with staging and line readings.

[Gregorio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the funniest things I've ever read. Titanic is my favorite short play I've ever read. Lot of jewels. Truly awesome sauce.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of funny shorts. Some a bit more disturbing than others.