This collection of 10-minute plays will delight readers and audiences alike. From the social drama of Jeanette D. Farr's... More > "Gray Matter" to the Pinteresque tension of Walter Wykes' "The Salmon Tribunal" to the zany swashbuckling fun of Jeff Goode's "Jolly Jack Junior," each of these short plays expresses the unique vision of an emerging contemporary dramatist. Together, they make an exciting and diverse evening of theatre. < Less

In this collection of plays, Walter Wykes creates a series of modern myths, tapping into something in the strata of the... More > subconscious, through ritualism and rich, poetic language. The worlds he creates are brand new and hilarious, yet each contains an ancient horror we all know and cannot escape and have never been able to hang one definitive word on.

"The Profession" follows the experiences of a naïve young man exposed to the inner workings of a secret society of assassins. In "Fading Joy" a young woman finds herself caught up in the intoxicating world of a smooth-talking salesman. When he flees to escape a mysterious group known only as "The Tall Men," she finds it impossible to go back to her old way of life. Finally, "The Father Clock" tells the apocalyptic tale of two actors and a stage manager abandoned by their aging director. As the auditorium begins to fill and the lights dim, they desperately attempt to pull the show together even as a strange illness drifts through the theatre. < Less

This exciting anthology of one-act plays includes classics such as Anton Chekhov's "The Boor" and John Millington Synge's... More > "Riders to the Sea" as well as lesser-known gems such as Alice Gerstenberg's "Fourteen" and Percival Wilde's "The Sequel." Other plays in the collection include August Strindberg's "The Stronger," Moliere's "The Pretentious Young Ladies," Neith Boyce's "Enemies," Horace Holley's "The Genius," Susan Glaspell's "Trifles," and Ferenc Molnar's "A Matter of Husbands."

Best of all, every play in this anthology is in the public domain and may, therefore, be performed without paying royalties, making this a great resource for theatres or schools with limited budgets. < Less

One of the most ambitious dramatic poems ever written, Percy Bysshe Shelley's Prometheus Unbound tells the story of the... More > Titan Prometheus who gave mankind the secret of fire in open defiance to the decrees of Zeus, and who, as punishment for this generosity, was chained to the Caucasus Mountains and exposed to horrible tortures. Inspired by the Prometheus Bound of Aeschylus, Shelley's play serves as a sort of sequel, matching its Greek predecessor in stature and pure poetic power. It depicts its philanthropist hero's ultimate triumph over the superstition and bigotry of the gods. As Shelley himself stated in his Defence of Poetry, Prometheus Unbound awakens and enlarges the mind. < Less

This collection of 10-minute plays will delight readers and audiences alike. From the dark humor of Nick Zagone's "Sixty... More > Years, to Life" to the zany absurdism of Walter Wykes' "Family 2.0" to the disturbing imagery of Laura Elizabeth Miller's "Fugue," each of these short plays expresses the unique vision of an emerging contemporary dramatist. Together, they make an exciting and diverse evening of theatre. Other plays in this anthology include "While the Auto Waits" by O. Henry, "Lures" by Jeanette D. Farr, "The Next Mrs. Jacob Anderson" by Ann Wuehler, "The Chocolate Affair" by Stephanie Alison Walker, "No Such Thing" by Douglas Hill, "Heart of Hearing" by Joseph Zeccola, and "Phone Arts" by LB Hamilton. < Less

The intellectual offspring of Ionesco, Beckett, and Pinter, Walter Wykes is proof that the Theatre of the Absurd lives on.... More > In his plays, he creates a series of modern myths, tapping into something in the strata of the subconscious, through ritualism and rich, poetic language. The worlds he creates are brand new, and hilarious, yet each contains an ancient horror we all know and cannot escape and have never been able to hang one definitive word on. "The Worker" explores the life of a young woman who fashions a fake child to help her cope with the loneliness she endures each day while her husband is away at work. "Family 2.0" tells the story of a man who invades a stranger’s home and attempts to convince the family he finds there to accept him as their new husband/father. "The Spotted Man" follows the trials of a man cursed with a strange disease that may signal the end of the human race. Also included are "Cherry Bizarre" and "The Tragical Tale of Melissa McHiney McNormous McWhale." < Less

In his final play, Henrik Ibsen tells the story of Rubek, an aging sculptor who has lost all interest in the world around... More > him. In spite of his wealth, his fame, and the attentions of his beautiful, young wife, he can find no joy in his existence. He is stagnating, trapped in a spiritual vacuum, when suddenly he is jolted out of his stupor by an unexpected reunion with Irene, a model who once posed for him and whom he idolized. She is now half-mad and literally believes herself to be a walking corpse, a dead woman who roams the earth. In spite of her delusions, however, and in spite of his marriage, Rubek woos the disturbed woman mercilessly. He believes that, together, he and Irene can make each other whole. He will cure her of her delusions of death, and she will restore in him the joy of life. Irene eventually agrees to allow Rubek a few moments of real happiness. She will spend one final night with him ... but there is a terrible price to be paid. < Less

Although known primarily for his poetry, Lord Byron (1788-1824) also had a keen interest in the theatre and wrote a number... More > of verse dramas, mostly during his Italian exile. While these plays went largely unnoticed during Byron's lifetime, they have since been recognized by critics for their sublime poetic and dramatic qualities. This collection brings together six of Byron's finest plays: Manfred, Cain, Heaven and Earth, Marino Faliero, Sardanapalus, and The Two Foscari. < Less

This collection of 10-minute plays will delight readers and audiences alike. From the futuristic musings of Michael Rudd's... More > "Clothes For Their Souls" to the poetic mysticism of Nick Zagone's "Portland Blood Slam" to the film noirish farce of Jeff Goode's "Murder by Midnight," each of these short plays expresses the unique vision of a contemporary dramatist. Together, they make an exciting and diverse evening of theatre. Other plays in this anthology include "The Unwanted" by Walter Wykes, "The Goon" by Pete Malicki, "Watch Your Head" by Lynda Rodriguez, "Dog Park or Sexual Perversity in Magnuson" by Dennis Schebetta, "The Care and Feeding of Baby Birds" by Ann Wuehler, "The History of Why the Chicken Crossed the Road" by Jennye James, and "The Brown Shoes" by Julie Jensen. < Less

Leonid Andreyev was once considered one of Russia's greatest dramatists, but his opposition to the Bolshevik Revolution and... More > the Communist government's unilateral support of naturalism on the stage conspired to undermine his career. He was imprisoned, died in poverty, and has become increasingly obscure.

Andreyev is symbolic and romantic. Fate and Chance are the two dark, unknown, at times brutal forces which dwell ever before his mind's eye. He sees human beings in the form of ghosts and ghosts in the form of human beings.

Andreyev's best-known play, “He Who Gets Slapped” tells the story of a famous writer who takes a job as a circus clown in order to escape his past. In this carnival of human outcasts, Andreyev fashions a meaningful portrait of an intellectual’s struggle to exist in a world ruled by Fate, Chance, and the almighty dollar.

Also included are two extraordinarily haunting plays adapted from Andreyev's short stories: “Call of the Revolution” and “The Serpent's Tale.” < Less