Plays and Playwrights for the New Millennium [Paperback]

Martin Denton (Editor), Robert Simonson (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2000

If you care about the American theatre - if you are wondering where the next generation of American dramatists is coming from - you will want to read this book. An anthology of eight new plays from New York City's dynamic off-off-Broadway theatre: these plays run the gamut from broad farce to satire to moving comic drama. These plays are ripe for production on stages throughout the United States.

These plays say something cogent and interesting about the way we live now, on the cusp of the new millennium. They redefine the boundaries of the experience of theatre in new and useful ways. The eight plays are all darn good: funny, compelling, and intelligent.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Who will write the next classic American play? Don't be surprised if it's one of these authors, whose works have electrified audiences in New York City throughout 1998 and 1999. Collected here are eight exciting new plays by some of the country's most gifted and talented young playwrights. These writers, and their work, are boldly pushing contemporary theatre into the 21st century, helping to shape and define the themes and structures of the next wave of American drama.

Midnight Brainwash Revival Kirk Wood Bromley

A revel for the new millennium featuring cross-dressers, mismatched lovers, false prophets and madmen, all involved in a grand, possibly apocalyptic drama in the Utah desert.

Horse Country C.J. Hopkins

A dizzying, ontological joyride through the post-everything American landscape...and beyond.

When Words Fail... David Dannenfelser

A tender, innovative comedy about the survival of the human spirit in the Information Age.

Making Peter Pope Edmund De Santis

An epic comedy about a young gay man struggling to gain control of his life after his mother dies and his father quickly remarries.

Crunching Numbers Lynn Marie Macy

Three pungent, linked one-act plays about the supreme angst and anguish that comes with turning thirty.

Caf Society Robert Simonson

A cockeyed satire of contemporary urban America in which a young woman goes to hell and back just to get her daily dose of iced de-caf.

"So, I Killed a Few People..." Gary Ruderman & David Summers

A chillingly comic monologue delivered by a convicted serial killer on death row whose final request is to put on a one-man show.

Are We There Yet? Garth Wingfield

A bittersweet comic drama about a young woman's renewal and rebirth following some truly shocking medical news.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: New York Theatre Experience Inc; 1st edition (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967023416
• ISBN-13: 978-0967023410
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,822,691 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm the founder and editor of nytheatre.com, a website that provides lots of information about the New York City theatre scene, from Broadway to off-Broadway to the exciting indie theater sector. It was as editor of nytheatre.com that I became interested in bringing new American plays by emerging or unpublished authors to the attention of readers in the "Plays and Playwrights" anthology series. I've been working on nytheatre.com since 1997. I'm also the producer of nytheatrecast, the first weekly podcast series about NYC theatre. I'm a member of the American Theatre Critics Association; I probably see about 300 shows every year. Last year I was proud to receive (with NYTE's Managing Director) the Stewardship Award from the New York Innovative Theatre Foundation, in recognition of my work on nytheatre.com and as editor of the "Plays and Playwrights" books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Extraordinary Book, April 17, 2000

By 

"bwilley" (Oceanside, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Plays and Playwrights for the New Millennium (Paperback)

This is an excellent anthology of eight really good plays which should delight anyone who loves the theatre or who simply appreciates good writing. Although I definitely had my favorites (When Words Fail, Cafe Society, and Making Peter Pope among them), I'd be hard pressed to imagine a better or broader range of plays. The writings are truly thought-provoking. They offer wonderful insights as they deal with issues such as self-discovery, identity, renewal, responsibility, relationships, participation, involvement, hope. I should mention, this is done with a healthy slice of humor. I laughed a lot. These are fun plays.

The concept of a first-rate theatre critic who sees virtually every play on Broadway and most off and off-off-Broadway productions, selecting and putting together, in one volume, eight of the best new off-off-Broadway plays is extraordinary. And very exciting. It gives us, the reader, the opportunity to experience cutting-edge plays which we might never have heard about if not for this book. Martin Denton's attention grabbing introduction with an oh-so-brilliant critical essay on each of the plays is the proverbial icing on the cake. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this book.