Plays for Two

Brief Description: "Plays for Two is a unique anthology of twenty-eight terrific plays for two actors, by a mix of celebrated playwrights and cutting-edge new voices. It takes two to tango--or to perform a duet, fight a duel, or play ping-pong. The two-character play is dramatic confrontation stripped to its essence. These four full-length and twenty-four short plays feature pairs of every sort--strangers, rivals, parents and children, siblings, co-workers, friends, and lovers--swooning or sparring, meeting cute or parting ways. In a dizzying range of moods and styles, these two-handers offer the kind of meaty, challenging roles actors love, while providing readers and audiences with the pleasures of watching the complex give-and-take dynamics of two keenly matched characters. Plays by: Billy Aronson, David Auburn, Pete Barry, Naveen Bahar Choudhury, Anthony Clarvoe, Steven Dietz, Halley Feiffer, Simon Fill, Frank Higgins, David Ives, Jacob Juntunen, Ean Miles Kessler, Neil LaBute, Eric Lane, Kitt Lavoie, Jacqueline E. Lawton, Mark Harvey Levine, Elizabeth Meriwether, Michael Mitnick, Daria Polatin, Marco Ramirez, Kelly Rhodes, Jose Rivera, Paul Rudnick, Edwin Sanchez, Nina Shengold, Cori Thomas, Doug Wright "--Biographical Note: Eric Lane and Nina Shengold have been editing contemporary theater anthologies for more than twenty years. Eric Lane's award-winning plays have been published and performed in the United States, Canada, Europe, and China. Plays include "Ride, Times of War, Heart of the City, Dancing on Checkers' Grave, "and" Filming O'Keeffe. Floating," a PlayPenn finalist, was workshopped at Raven Theatre. Eric's short plays are published in "Best American Short Plays, Poems and Plays," and the "Foreign Language Press" (Beijing). He wrote and produced the short films "First Breath" and "Cater-Waiter," which he also directed; both films screened in more than forty cities worldwide. For TV's "Ryan's Hope" he received a Writers Guild Award. Honors include the Berrilla Kerr Playwriting Award, the La MaMa Playwright Award, and fellowships at Yaddo, VCCA, and St. James Cavalier in Malta. Eric is an honors graduate of Brown University, and artistic director of Orange Thoughts, a not-for-profit theater and film company in New York City. Nina Shengold's plays include "Finger Foods, War at Home, Homesteaders," and "Romeo/Juliet," and have been produced around the world. Her one-act "No Shoulder" was filmed by director Suzi Yoonessi, with Melissa Leo and Samantha Sloyan. Nina won a Writers Guild Award for her teleplay "Labor of Love," starring Marcia Gay Harden; other teleplays include "Blind Spot," with Joanne Woodward and Laura Linney, and" Unwed Father." Her books include the novel "Clearcut"; "River of Words: Portraits of Hudson Valley Writers" (with photographer Jennifer May), and a growing posse of pseudonymous books for young readers. A graduate of Wesleyan, she is currently teaching creative writing at Manhattanville College. Nina lives in New York's Hudson Valley, where she has been books editor of "Chronogram" magazine since 2004. Table of Contents: "Introduction""Acknowledgements" FULL-LENGTH PLAYSDavid Ives, VENUS IN FURSSteven Dietz, SHOOTING STARFrank Higgins, BLACK PEARL SINGS!Anthony Clarvoe, THE ART OF SACRIFICE SHORT PLAYSElizabeth Meriwether, 90 DAYSKitt Lavoie, BANK & TRUSTEan Miles Kessler, FUNNY VALENTINESimon Fill, THE GIFTMichael Mitnick, HAIL CAESER!Pete Barry, HEARING AIRMark Harvey Levine, THE KISSEric Lane, LADY LIBERTY AND THE DONUT GIRLPaul Rudnick, MY HUSBANDJacob Juntunen, SADDAM'S LIONSNaveen Bahar Choudhury, SKINDoug Wright, WILDWOOD PARKEdwin Sanchez, BEA AND MAYNina Shengold, DEEP JERSEYKelly Rhodes, HEADS AND TAILSJose Rivera, LESSON FOR UNACCUSTOMED BRIDEDaria Polatin, THAT FIRST FALLCori Thomas, WAKING UPMarco Ramirez, 3:59 am: a drag race for two actorsJacqueline E. Lawton, FINALS, TOUCHDOWNS, AND BARREL KICKSHalley Feiffer, FRANK AMENDSNeil LaBute, STRANGE FRUITDavid Auburn, AN UPSETBilly Aronson, NEGOTIATION" ""Contributors""About the Editors""Permissions and Acknowledgements "Marc Notes: Plays for Two is a unique anthology of twenty-eight terrific plays for two actors, by a mix of celebrated playwrights and cutting-edge new voices. It takes two to tango--or to perform a duet, fight a duel, or play ping-pong. The two-character play is dramatic confrontation stripped to its essence. These four full-length and twenty-four short plays feature pairs of every sort--strangers, rivals, parents and children, siblings, co-workers, friends, and lovers--swooning or sparring, meeting cute or parting ways. In a dizzying range of moods and styles, these two-handers offer the kind of meaty, challenging roles actors love, while providing readers and audiences with the pleasures of watching the complex give-and-take dynamics of two keenly matched characters. Plays by: Billy Aronson, David Auburn, Pete Barry, Naveen Bahar Choudhury, Anthony Clarvoe, Steven Dietz, Halley Feiffer, Simon Fill, Frank Higgins, David Ives, Jacob Juntunen, Ean Miles Kessler, Neil LaBute, Eric Lane, Kitt Lavoie, Jacqueline E. Lawton, Mark Harvey Levine, Elizabeth Meriwether, Michael Mitnick, Daria Polatin, Marco Ramirez, Kelly Rhodes, Jose Rivera, Paul Rudnick, Edwin Sanchez, Nina Shengold, Cori Thomas, Doug Wright --; Provided by publisher.; An anthology of twenty-eight short and long plays for two actors, by a mix of celebrated and emerging playwrights--; Provided by publisher. Publisher Marketing: "Plays for Two "is a unique anthology of twenty-eight terrific plays for two actors, by a mix of celebrated playwrights and cutting-edge new voices. It takes two to tango--or to perform a duet, fight a duel, or play ping-pong. The two-character play is dramatic confrontation stripped to its essence. These four full-length and twenty-four short plays feature pairs of every sort--strangers, rivals, parents and children, siblings, co-workers, friends, and lovers--swooning or sparring, meeting cute or parting ways. In a dizzying range of moods and styles, these two-handers offer the kind of meaty, challenging roles actors love, while providing readers and audiences with the pleasures of watching the complex give-and-take dynamics of two keenly matched characters. Plays by: Billy Aronson, David Auburn, Pete Barry, Naveen Bahar Choudhury, Anthony Clarvoe, Steven Dietz, Halley Feiffer, Simon Fill, Frank Higgins, David Ives, Jacob Juntunen, Ean Miles Kessler, Neil LaBute, Eric Lane, Kitt Lavoie, Jacqueline E. Lawton, Mark Harvey Levine, Elizabeth Meriwether, Michael Mitnick, Daria Polatin, Marco Ramirez, Kelly Rhodes, Jose Rivera, Paul Rudnick, Edwin Sanchez, Nina Shengold, Cori Thomas, Doug Wright Review Citations:

Library Journal 04/01/2014 pg. 95 (EAN 9780345804549, Paperback) - *Starred Review

Contributor Bio:  Lane, Eric Eric Lane was born and raised in London. He served in the Royal Air Force and is a graduate of Cambridge University with degrees in English and Theology. Eric served for nine years in the Anglican ministry in Carlisle and London, UK. After that he ministered in independent evangelical churches in various parts of the UK. He is now retired and living in Yateley, Hampshire. Contributor Bio:  Shengold, Nina Eric Lane and Nina Shengold are editors of twelve contemporary play collections. Their other titles for Vintage Books include "Plays for Actresses, Leading Women: Plays for Actresses II, Take Ten: New Ten-Minute Plays, Take Ten II: More Ten-Minute Plays, Under Thirty: Plays for a New Generation, "and "Talk to Me: Monologue Plays. "For Viking Penguin, they edited "The Actor's Book of Contemporary Stage Monologues, The Actor's Book of Scenes from New Plays, Moving Parts: Monologues from Contemporary Plays, The Actor's Book of Gay and Lesbian Plays "(Lambda Literary Award nominee), and "Telling Tales: New One-Act Plays." Nina Shengold received the ABC Playwright Award and the L. A. Weekly Award for "Homesteaders, "published by Samuel French. Her "Romeo/Juliet," a five-actor adaptation of Shakespeare's play, is published by Broadway Play Publishing. Her ten-minute plays have been performed at the Actors Theatre of Louisville and dozens of other theaters. Ms. Shengold won the Writers Guild Award and a GLAAD Award nomination for her teleplay "Labor of Love, "starring Marcia Gay Harden; other screenplays include "Blind Spot, "with Joanne Woodward and Laura Linney, "Unwed Father, Double Platinum, "and a flm adaptation of Jane Smiley's "Good Will. "She is artistic director of the upstate New York theater company Actor's & Writers. Her first novel, "Clearcut, "was published by Anchor Books. Eric Lane is an award-winning playwright and filmmaker. Plays include "Heart of the City, Times of War, Shellac, Cater-Waiter, "and "Dancing on Checkers' Grave, "which starred Jennifer Aniston. Mr. Lane has written and produced two short filims: "First Breath "and "Cater-Waiter. "For his work on TV's"Ryan's Hope, "he received a Writers Guild Award. Honors include the Berrilla Kerr Playwrighting Award, La Mama Playwright Development Award, numerous Yaddo fellowships, and a St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity fellowship in Malta. Mr. Lane is an honors graduate of Brown University, and is artistic director of Orange Thoughts Productions, a not-for-profit theater and film company in New York City.