I got this book at a library sale, but not sure which one. I don't see it listed in a previous post or in my latest book list.
The book includes eight 20th century plays. I was familiar with two from screen adaptations: The Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman and The Women by Clare Boothe. I haven't read any plays in a long time. It's fun to read a different format than a short story or novel.
The other plays are:
Overtones by Alice Gerstenberg
Play with a Tiger by Doris Lessing
Calm Down Mother by Megan Terry
The Advertisement by Natalia Ginzburg
Rites by Maureen Duffy
Wine in the Wilderness by Alice Childress
The plays give a bleak assessment of womanhood in the 20th century: men always let women down, women can be their own worst enemies, and opportunities for women are limited.
The plays I enjoyed were The Children's Hour, The Advertisement, Rites, and Wine in the Wilderness. Wine in the Wilderness was the only play with a remotely happy ending. I'm glad the editors ended the book with that selection.
No comments:
Post a Comment