A ten-minute play is a streak of theatrical lightning. It doesn't last long, but its power can stand your hair on end. This splendid anthology contains enough wattage to light up a small city. In its pages, thirty-two of our finest playwrights hone their skills on a form that has been called the haiku of the American stage. The plays that Nina Shengold and Eric Lane have collected in this volume range from monologues to an eight-character farce. Eminently producible, ideally suited for the classroom and audition, Take Ten is a marvelous resource for teachers and students of drama, as well as a stimulating read for lovers of the theatre.
Contents
John Augustine, "Siobhan"
Cathy Celesia, "Anything For You"
Laura Cunningham, "Flop Cop"
Christopher Durang, "Mrs. Sorken"
Mary Gallagher, "Brother"
John Guare, "New York Actor"
David Ives, "The Philadelphia"
Jason Katims, "The Man Who Couldn't Dance"
Sherry Kramer, "Hold for Three"
Tony Kushner, "Reverse Transcription"
Eric Lane, "A Bowl of Soup"
Shirley Lauro, "Railing It Uptown"
Romulus Linney, "Stars"
David Mamet, "A Sermon"
Jane Martin, "Shasta Rue"
Mary Miller, "Ferris Wheel"
Chiori Miyagawa, "Yesterday's Window"
Joe Pintauro, "Two Eclairs"
Mary Sue Price, "That Midnight Rodeo"
Nicole B. Quinn, "The Spirit is Willing"
Carole Real, "The Battle of Bull Run Always Makes Me Cry"
Jose Rivera, "Gas"
Sybil Rosen, "Duet for Bear and Dog"
Steven Sater, "Phone Sex and a Dumb Show"
John Patrick Shanley, "Welcome to the Moon"
David Smilow, "Brights"
Diana Son, "R.A.W. ('Cause I'm a Woman)"
Frederick Stroppel, "Judgement Call"
Regina Taylor, "Love Poem #98"
Megan Terry, "Breakfast Serial"
August Wilson, "The Janitor"
Dana Yeaton, "Helen at Risk"