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Big Dog Publishing, FL, USA >>>

2005

If the Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased direct, otherwise
(below) are AbeBooks for secondhand & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Drama, full length

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9

2

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Notes:
Performance Time: Approximately 90 minutes

Synopsis:
Winner of the National Endowment for the Arts Award. Adapted from the short story by Stephen Crane. Three strangers arrive at the railroad town of Romper, Nebraska, and seek out a room at a local hotel. Upon their arrival at the hotel, one of the strangers, a Swedish tailor from New York, begins to act strangely. He becomes extremely frightened, so much so, that he fears for his life. The hotel proprietor, Pat Scully, tries to calm him down, but the Swede's paranoia only increases, making the others feel more and more uneasy. As the play progresses, the Swede becomes increasingly alienated and estranged from the group, and his outlandish behavior only creates further hostility that threatens to erupt into violence at any moment.

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Big Dog Publishing, FL, USA >>>

2005

If the Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased direct, otherwise
(below) are AbeBooks for secondhand & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Satire, full length

Satire

16

9

Flexible. (With doubling 16 M, 9 F, extras)

Notes:
Performance Time: Approximately 120 minutes

Synopsis:
Wickedly funny, this adaptation of the classic novel by Voltaire traces the exploits of Candide as he travels through Europe and the New World. The story begins as Candide is banished from the kingdom of Westphalia after he is caught in the arms of Cunégonde, the Baron's daughter. Friendless and hungry, Candide is duped into joining the Bulgarian army. He escapes from the army only to become shipwrecked at sea while sailing to Portugal. Candide survives, but as he is washed ashore, he arrives just in time to witness a major earthquake. As Candide stumbles through the ruins of the earthquake, he meets up with his old mentor, Pangloss, and learns that Cunégonde has been ravished by an army of Bulgars, sold to several brothels, and is now owned by two men. Determined to find Cunégonde and marry her, Candide sets out trusting in his firm belief that "all is for the best in this world of ours."

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Big Dog Publishing, FL, USA >>>

2005

If the Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased direct, otherwise
(below) are AbeBooks for secondhand & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Comedy with Songs, full length

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14

7

2 flexible, extras

Notes:
Performance Time: Approximately 60-75 minutes

Synopsis:
A hit in its day, A Glance at New York (1848) was one of the first plays to portray working-class life and speech, providing a snapshot of what life was like for those living in New York's gritty Bowery district. George, a naïve country bumpkin, arrives in New York and is escorted about town by his cousin, Harry. Upon his arrival and throughout his visit, George is humorously swindled out of his watch and most of his money by fast-talking street hustlers. Along the way, George and Harry hook up with Mose, a hulking volunteer fireman and butcher, who loves nothing more than getting into street scuffles: "Dere ain't one in dat crowd can floor me." The mischievous three cross-dress to gain access to an all-women's bowling saloon; make a stop at Loafer's Paradise, a grimy bar; and manage to get into a street scuffle.

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1972

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I don't think the play has been published but you could try abebooks.com

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Play/Drama

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2 BM, 5 WM, 1 Vietnamese M

Notes:
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Synopsis:
The war in Vietnam is explored as well as its effects, racially and emotionally, on three men who lose the boundaries of col

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Big Dog Publishing, FL, USA >>>

2005

If the Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased direct, otherwise
(below) are AbeBooks for secondhand & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Satire, full length

Satire

10

3

-

Notes:
Performance Time: Approximately 120 minutes

Synopsis:
This streamlined adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's The League of Youth (1869), cuts the original play by a third, allowing for Ibsen's humor and wit to be showcased rather than buried. The storyline focuses on the ambitious Stensgard, a two-faced social climber and opportunist, who decides to challenge the political forces in his town by forming a new radical party, The League of Youth. Stensgard, along with the power-hungry farmer, Lundestad, target Bratsberg, the benevolent town elder. Stensgard preaches egalitarian rhetoric to manipulate the townspeople so that he can achieve greater fame and social status for himself. The action is swift in this fresh, farcical play that pokes fun at politics and societal pretension.

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Big Dog Publishing, FL, USA >>>

2005

If the Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased direct, otherwise
(below) are AbeBooks for secondhand & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Drama

One Act

8

4

1 flexible, extras

Notes:
Performance Time: Approximately 45 minutes

Synopsis:
Adapted from Stephen Crane's novel, Maggie, A Girl of the Streets (1896) this play depicts with shocking realism the poverty and desperation of Maggie, a young woman who must work in a sweat shop and endure abuse at the hands of her alcoholic mother. Yearning to escape from the slums, Maggie soon takes up with Pete, an outgoing bartender. Pete takes Maggie to the theatre and to dance halls, where she is dazzled by all the glitz. Soon Pete's interest in Maggie wanes, and he is seen cavorting around town with his old flame, Nellie. As rumors abound that Maggie has been "ruined" by Pete, Maggie's brother and mother cast her out of the house and onto the streets.

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Big Dog Publishing, FL, USA >>>

2005

If the Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased direct, otherwise
(below) are AbeBooks for secondhand & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Drama

One Act

8

5

extras

Notes:
Performance Time: Approximately 35-40 minutes

Synopsis:
After courageously saving a white boy from a fire, a horribly burned African-American man, Henry Johnson, is forced to wear a hood to hide his face from his fellow townspeople, who view him as a monster. Instead of being heralded for his bravery, Henry finds himself the target of violence as the town's collective fear turns to hysteria. Only the town's doctor stands firm against a mob that seeks to confront that which they fear most-the monster within. Adapted from the short story by Stephen Crane.

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Big Dog Publishing, FL, USA >>>

2005

If the Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased direct, otherwise
(below) are AbeBooks for secondhand & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Satire/Theatre of The Absurd

One Act

3

1

1 flexible, optional extras

Notes:
Performance Time: Approximately 45 minutes

Synopsis:
In this adaptation of Nikolai Gogol's classic short story (1832), Alexey Kovalyov, a mid-level government bureaucrat, awakens one morning horrified to discover that his nose has run off. Kovalyov wanders the streets searching for his lost nose when, by chance, he spots his nose riding in a coach dressed as a high-ranking government official. Not only has Kovalyov lost his nose, but now his nose outranks him! Determined to get his nose back, Kovalyov trails the nose to a cathedral. There, Kovalyov confronts his nose, demanding that it return to his face immediately. But the nose rudely rebuffs him and escapes. Meanwhile, the runaway nose has become fodder for the town's rumor mill, which threatens to destroy Kovalyov's reputation. This adaptation preserves Gogol's whimsical and humorous writing style and pokes fun at the incompetence of bureaucrats and the superficial nature of society's "respectable" classes.

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Big Dog Publishing, FL, USA >>>

2005

If the Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased direct, otherwise
(below) are AbeBooks for secondhand & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Drama

One Act

4

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-

Notes:
Performance Time: Approximately 25-30 minutes

Synopsis:
Adapted from Stephen Crane's classic short story, this play chronicles the harrowing events of four men shipwrecked off the coast of Florida. Trapped at sea in a small lifeboat, the men take turns rowing. Soon they spot a lighthouse, but as they get closer to shore, the surf becomes dangerously rough. When no rescue boat arrives, the men become increasingly weary and despondent. Desperate, the Captain realizes that the only chance for survival is to row the lifeboat as close to the shore as possible and then swim the rest of the way. This absorbing and masterful play reveals man's alienation and vulnerability as he faces a fierce and unforgiving existence, and humanity's inexorable search for unattainable answers.

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Big Dog Publishing, FL, USA >>>

2005

If the Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased direct, otherwise
(below) are AbeBooks for secondhand & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Drama

One Act

1

4

1 flexible

Notes:
Performance Time: Approximately 30 minutes

Synopsis:
This adaptation captures Maxim Gorky's stark, naturalistic rendering of five people locked in a dehumanizing system of oppression and violence. Set in a house of prostitution, three women suffer savage beatings inflicted by the sadistic, Red, a man employed by the proprietress to keep the girls in line. But when Red falls off a trolley and breaks his leg, he finds himself at the mercy of his victims. The women are overjoyed to see their tormentor injured and revel in their new-found power. Maska tries to convince the other women to murder Red before his leg heals, but Red's merciful pleas and promises that he will no longer beat the girls evokes pity in Aksinya.

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Big Dog Publishing, FL, USA >>>

2005

If the Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased direct, otherwise
(below) are AbeBooks for secondhand & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Drama, full length

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7

1

optional extras

Notes:
Performance Time: Approximately 90 minutes

Synopsis:
This adaptation of one of Anton Chekhov's most influential short stories, "Ward Six," (1892) depicts the horrors of a Russian mental ward. An idealistic new doctor accepts a post at a hospital in a small town, where he hopes to dedicate himself to helping mental patients. But after witnessing patients being mercilessly beaten, Dr. Rabin seeks the help of the hospital administrator, but his requests are ignored. Disillusioned, Rabin befriends a patient, Ivan Gromov, but their discussions eventually lead Rabin to see the world anew, blurring the lines between sanity and insanity, reality and illusion.