Philip Glass... is a parodic musical vignette in trademark Glassian style, with the celebrated composer having a moment of existential crisis in a bakery.
David Ives Books
This contemporary American playwright is celebrated for his one-act comedies, distinguished by their verbal dexterity, theatrical invention, and quirky humor. His works often delve into the intricacies of human relationships and the absurdities of modern life with sharp wit and a light touch. He honed his craft at the Yale School of Drama, and his innovative and amusing plays have garnered widespread acclaim. His distinctive approach to playwriting offers audiences a refreshing and engaging theatrical experience.
Venus in Fur
- 86 pages
- 4 hours of reading
A young playwright, Thomas, has written an adaptation of the 1870 novel Venus in Fur by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch (after whom the term “masochism” was coined); the novel is the story of an obsessive adulterous relationship between a man and the mistress to whom he becomes enslaved. At the end of a long day in which the actresses Thomas auditions fail to impress him, in walks Vanda, very late and seemingly clueless, but she convinces him to give her a chance. As they perform scenes from Thomas’s play, and Vanda the actor and Vanda the character gradually take control of the audition, the lines between writer, actor, director, and character begin to blur. Vanda is acting . . . or perhaps she sees in Thomas a masochist, one who desires fantasy in “real life” while writing fantasies for a living. An exploration of gender roles and sexuality, in which desire twists and turns in on itself, Venus in Fur is also a witty, unsettling look at the art of acting—onstage and off.
