In June I made a list of plays to read. My co-workers at the book shop gave me MANY suggestions and I made a syllabus (that I’m not quite following) of about 40 plays to read before the end of the summer. It’s basically like my American Drama class from sophomore spring, except the plays are a little more obscure. I’ve enjoyed mostly all of the plays I’ve read, though I’ve definitely noticed a trend of dysfunctional family dramedies. I remember my tutor, John, making this generalization about American plays when I studied in London and it appears that he’s not all wrong.
In the flurry of all this reading I also realized that I had to pick a play of the week for the bookshop. I had just read Two Rooms by Lee Blessing on a plane ride and loved it. Even though it’s an older play, it’s very very timely and well-written. So I’m linking my review here. Just in case any of you would like to buy/read it. I’m only slightly biased, as I worked with Blessing at the Sewanee Writers Conference four years ago. He is an inspiring writer and a very smart man.
Once I’ve finished my summer reading mission (not that that’s really possible), I’ll make a list of plays that I would consider must-reads. Stay tuned.
