Jane Martin Collected Works Volume I: Collected Plays 1980-1995 - Paper [Paperback]

Jane Martin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1880399202 | ISBN-13: 978-1880399200 | Publication Date: February 1996

Martin achieves her effects through the wild creativity of her characterizations coupled with her tremendously visceral, idiomatic language. - Marcia Dixcy, Introduction

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

While there is some confusion as to whether Jane Martin is a pseudonym for a male playwright, these plays speak to women's frustrations with male-dominated society. They are darkly humorous and biting. All but one tells the story of sometimes bizarre women in hard circumstances striving to overcome and survive. The most striking of all the plays is Keely and Du, which involves a young woman who was raped by her ex-husband. On her way to obtain an abortion, Keely is kidnapped by a group of anti-abortion Christians. She is handcuffed to a bed and told that she will be kept captive until the birth of her child. Du is an aged nurse who has been given the assignment of looking after Keely. During the months of Keely's pregnancy, the two women begin to listen to each other's beliefs. The play ends with a self-abortion by Keely while Du is imprisoned. An evocative collection of plays. For large public and academic collections.?J. Sara Paulk, Tifton-Tift Cty. Lib., Ga.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Jane Martin, a Kentuckian, first came to national attention for Talking With, a collection of monologues premiering in Actors Theatre of Louisville's 1981 Humana Festival of New American Plays. This play has been performed around the world, winning the Best Foreign Play of the Year award in Germany. Ms. Martin's other collected works include Vital Signs and What Mama Don't Know. Her full-length plays include Cementville, the Pulitzer nominated Keely and Du, which won the 1994 American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award, Criminal Hearts and Middle-Aged White Guys.

Product Details

• Paperback: 346 pages
• Publisher: Smith & Kraus Pub Inc (February 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880399202
• ISBN-13: 978-1880399200
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #438,334 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A collection of hillarious socially probing modern satire, December 7, 1998

By 

Ed Pfueller ([e-mail]) (Rochester, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jane Martin Collected Works Volume I: Collected Plays 1980-1995 - Paper (Paperback)

Theater for people who thought they did'nt like theater. Jane Martin is a rare non-pretentious (Her identity is unknown) yet artistically challenging playwright. This collection is a mix of short and long pieces of theater with a common thread for you to ponder. The dialogue is quick, smart, crude and fall over funny. Feminine issues are explored with refreshing honesty and inclusiveness. I recomend this to all lovers of theater and playwrights who wish to examine the subleties of timing and audience reaction. Most important perhaps is the fact that these plays engage an audience to the extent that previous "theater haters" start to loose their prejudices. If Jane Martin plays were played next to movie theaters people might actually begin to reverse the affects of the "Titanic" plague. "Criminal Heart" "Vital Signs" and "Cementville" are must reads. When you're done you'll be seeking out live performances and in for a whole new experience.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So good, it's gone!, December 11, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Jane Martin Collected Works Volume I: Collected Plays 1980-1995 - Paper (Paperback)

This is a "must-have" for any lover of contemporary theatre. My copy was stolen from my backpack! They left everything else, but took my Jane Martin!

All of her(?) works are finely crafted and shaped. Through this volume, I was exposed to her popular "Keely & Du" (breathtaking), while at the same time discovering a new favorite in "Vital Signs."

I've successfully used several monologues from "Vital Signs" and they continue to provide me with one of the most lethal weapons in an audition setting: fresh pieces.

I highly recommend this book -- especially to actresses!

4.0 out of 5 stars !!!!, August 7, 2007

By 

Marie Farrell (California, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jane Martin Collected Works Volume I: Collected Plays 1980-1995 - Paper (Paperback)

This has a lot of great scenes and monologues for female actors. The writing is terrific. I really enjoy it.