Stage It and Stream It: Plays for Virtual Theater

by John Patrick Bray (Editor)

Overview

Playwrights have always demonstrated an incredible adaptability, able to nimbly adjust to new circumstances and media. This was never in greater evidence than during the coronavirus pandemic, when—with venues shuttered and stages darkened—writers and performers across the world scrambled to sustain the art of theater via remote video. Even today, it is clear that the experiences of 2020–21 have dramatically altered the landscape of theatermaking, as artists continually refine and deploy the lessons learned during a period of seat-of-the-pants experimentation.

This groundbreaking anthology brings together new works from both emerging and established playwrights to explore the rich opportunities afforded by streaming theater. They reveal a range of styles and approaches to storytelling; encompass both traditional and experimental plays, from solo pieces to large-cast dramas; and take place within single settings, multiple settings, or even in a utopian “nowhere.” Throughout, these selections all help to bring playwriting fully into our new era, embodying the sense of magic that comes from simple moments of human connection, even when we cannot be together.

Includes plays by the following:

Audrey Cefaly

Joyce Miller

J. Merrill Motz

Arlene Hutton

Greg Lam

Vince Gatton

Lindsay Adams

Sharece M. Sellem

Mrinalini Kamath

Brendan Powers and Rachel Burttram

Dana Hall

Aly Kantor

Kitt Lavoie

Jenny Lyn Bader

Ivam Cabral and Rodolfo García Vázquez

Michael Hagins

Trey Tatum with Jordan Trovillion

Colette Mazunik

Tory Parker

Eric Eidson and Lauren Lynch-Eidson

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493072897
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	06/01/2023
Pages:	406
Product dimensions:	5.18(w) x 7.81(h) x 1.15(d)

About the Author

John Patrick Bray is a playwright, screenwriter, and teacher at the University of Georgia. He has been a semifinalist for both The O’Neill National Playwrights Conference and Princess Grace Foundation Playwriting Award and is a past winner of the Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights. His plays have been presented all over the world—and online! Bray has a doctorate in Theatre from Louisiana State University and an MFA in Playwriting from The Actors Studio Drama School at The New School.

Editorial Reviews

"Rings true to the human need for heartfelt connection across time and physical space and reminds us how technology kept real feelings from ever becoming virtual during the global Covid pandemic."—Todd Ristau, playwright and head of the Playwright's Lab at Hollins University

"This fascinating anthology proves that theater is alive and kicking—even if it was moved, for a time, to the virtual world of Zoom. Exploring that new medium, the plays in this volume are formally daring, and often surprisingly funny, despite the current of loneliness and loss that underlies many of them. Ranging from monologues to full-lengths, they all highlight the strength and resilience of the theatrical community, and its vital role in bravely facing—and playing (seriously)—with the new dangers of a new century."—Neal Bell, Obie Award–Winning playwright of Spatter Pattern, Monster, Two Small Bodies; professor of theater, Duke University

From the Publisher