Book picks similar to
Black Drama in America - Pa by David Turner


drama
literary-theory
opera-music-drama-theatre
plays

He Captured My Heart: A Miami Love Story


Cherice Harris - 2018
    As she helps women plan and execute their special day, Reese is secretly waiting for the day it is her walking down the aisle. However, it seems that with Cordell, a well-known Miami DJ, that will never happen. Though she thought she had a fairy tale, after finding out a secret, Reese has to do her best to move on. It may be easier said than done, though. Anthony is a rapper, and to the outside eye, he has everything. The money, the cars, and the picture perfect trophy girlfriend, Elysia. However, with her continuously pressuring Anthony to get married, he strongly doubts their relationship and where it's meant to head. When he meets Reese, the inevitable happens. With her outgoing and vibrant smile, he finds himself easily attracted to her. However, all is not fair in love and war. Will their hearts be the casualty?

The JS Boys: Like Father Like Son


Shaytrece - 2017
    They were the eldest of the James/Santos offspring who were all either siblings or cousins and ranged in age from infants to early teens. But, now that the three boys were older, they had to face real life issues and responsibility. Lil Q’s name had already been run through the system due to the parents of his first puppy love, Jyla. Now the majority of his summer vacation was spent going back and forth to the courthouse trying to clear his name. Cons’ vacation was spent on his new career, but he later finds himself walking the footsteps of his father. Cons was a go-getter and had been that way since he could comprehend that people catered to children. Once Cons’ career blew up, he also figured out how much it brought attention from his peers, be it good or bad. Now that Cee saw how much drama had come into his family from his little brother and cousin, he chose to keep his feelings for his best friend at bay, not knowing that she liked him too. Cee, Cons, and Lil Q all knew the rules of the James and Santos family. Now that they were older, their parents felt they needed a little more freedom, but would it all be taken away after their parents learned just how much chaos surrounded their children?

A Mama for Aimee (Mail Order Brides of Shadow Gulch)


Susannah Calloway - 2021
    

Chekhov: The Cherry Orchard


James N. Loehlin - 2006
    In the century since its first performance, The Cherry Orchard has undergone a wide range of conflicting interpretations: tragic and comic, naturalistic and symbolic, reactionary and radical. Beginning with the 1904 premiere at Stanislavsky's Moscow Art Theatre, this study traces the performance history of one of the landmark plays of the modern theatre. Considering the work of such directors as Anatoly Efros, Giorgio Strehler, Peter Brook, and Peter Stein, Chekhov: The Cherry Orchard explores the way different artists, periods and cultures have reinvented Chekhov's poignant comedy of failure and hope.

Blues for an Alabama Sky - Acting Edition


Pearl Cleage - 1999
    Theatre script, playbook

Essential Self-Defense: A Play


Adam Rapp - 2007
    Meanwhile, all's not well on the unassuming Midwestern streets of Bloggs: with local children vanishing at an alarming rate, our hero, his lady friend, and a motley assortment of poets, butchers, and punk librarians prepare to battle the darkness on the edge of town.

A Real One Turned Me Out 2


Shameeka Jones - 2019
    Feeling like what they have is real, Canary’s more than willing to go however many rounds necessary with Kalena to get her point across. Just when Canary thinks things have settled down, Laxton hits her with another curveball: baby talk. Still scarred from her prior miscarriage, the thought of parenthood scares Canary, but Laxton just might be the one to help her overcome her fear. Canary is like a breath of fresh air to Laxton and his family, and the only thing that could make life better is Canary saying she’s ready to call Houston home. With his eye on the prize, Laxton is focused on the future and putting a few babies up in Canary, but his past won’t let him be great. No matter how much he pushes her away, Kalena is the ultimate headache for Laxton and refuses to let the next chick replace her. Kalena says nothing but death can keep her from Laxton, but the question is, whose life will be lost when it’s all said and done? Kenji and Silk may seem like the most unlikely couple, but when she agrees to stick by his side after finding out just how he makes his money, he knows he’s got a real one for sure. Kenji’s heart tells her that Silk is the one, and when he introduces her to his family, he knows Kenji is all he’ll ever need. When they least expect it, a bomb that Makiyah drops threatens to shatter the love Kenji and Silk think they’re building together. Will he be able to love Kenji past her flaws, or will their perfect love story end before they can make it to the altar? On top of that, Silk learns some shocking news that has him out for blood. Determined to destroy all that threatens his mission to uncover the truth, Silk just might sacrifice someone in his inner circle. Makiyah is hit with the ultimate betrayal when she learns the truth about her sister, Maleeah, and Ali. Through it all, the one thing that’s kept her smiling is knowing her mother will be released from prison soon. Maleeah has other plans, though, and when she shows up to steal her sister’s thunder yet again, Makiyah is faced with a hard decision: stay true to her love for Ali, or make him and Maleeah pay for their betrayal. Which path will she choose? Get ready to jump right back to the thick of things with Canary, Laxton, Kenji, Silk, Makiyah, and Keylon as they all fight to win the same thing: the heart of a real one.

The Violet Hour


Richard Greenberg - 2004
    He has two manuscripts but lacks the funds to publish both. His difficult decision--whether to publish his lover's memoir or the novel written by his best friend--is further complicated by the arrival of a mysterious machine that produces pages predicting the future of the play's protagonists, affecting their lives and relationships in haunting and unexpected ways. "The Violet Hour" opened on Broadway on November 6, 2003, starring Robert Sean Leonard.

Blue Surge


Rebecca Gilman - 2002
    What Rebecca Gilman makes of this familiar scenario is something startlingly real and compelling, delving deeply into the small space that can divide a feeling of hope from one of hopelessness, as Curt and Sandy both try to get a foothold in the American dream of a house, a job, a life, a relationship with another human being.Gilman's previous play, Boy Gets Girl, was acclaimed by Time magazine as the best play of 2000, saying that "with Spinning into Butter, her play about race relations on campus, Rebecca Gilman gave notice that she was a playwright to watch. And with this intense drama of a woman's encounter with a stalker, she became one to hail . . . It's not just a gripping play but also an important one." Marked by Gilman's characteristically sharp delineation of character, pitch-perfect dialogue, and effortless use of humor that is both biting and silly, Blue Surge is a worthy successor to these plays--an intimate look at the class struggle in America today as well as a brilliant example of the dramatic craft from one of today's most accomplished practitioners. It will have its world premiere at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago in the spring of 2001.

Eight


Ella Hickson - 2009
    From high-class hookers to 7/7 survivors these monologues paint a revelatory picture of Britain as it is today. After rave reviews at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival and in New York, "Eight" opened in London's West End in July 2009.

Three Plays: The Late Henry Moss / Eyes for Consuela / When the World Was Green


Sam Shepard - 2002
    In Eyes for Consuela, based on Octavio Paz’s classic story “The Blue Bouquet,” a vacationing American encounters a knife-toting Mexican bandit on a gruesome quest. And in When the World Was Green, cowritten with Joseph Chaikin, a journalist in search of her father interviews an old man who resolved a generations-old vendetta by murdering the wrong man. Together, these plays form a powerful trio from an enduring force in American theater.

Notes from Underground & Scenes from the New World


Eric Bogosian - 1993
    Back-in-print early work by the author of subUrbia and Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll.

Runaway Soul


Tiffani Quarles-Sanders - 2017
    Only months before her retirement, new mandatory background checks threaten to expose Jackie’s darkest secrets, secrets she’s kept buried for nearly fifty years. As Jackie pleads with her husband Peter for help, her carefully hidden past unfolds.Alabama, 1961- As an ambitious student, Jackie is looking forward to her senior year, with hopes for college. However, on Homecoming morning, her father’s infidelity causes her world to change suddenly and irrevocably. In the year that follows, Jackie and her sister are increasingly trapped by poverty, Jim Crow, and ongoing violence and abuse—and Jackie is ultimately forced to protect herself in ways she never imagined. Ways which now, fifty years later, may prove to be her undoing.

After The Storm 2


Genesis - 2018
    Both at the top of their game with their careers taking off. With thoughts of a new beginning for Bass Industries and a wedding to plan, nothing or no one can stand in their way; that is until Jason Tremaine finds his way back into their lives. Jason Tremaine was once one of Jordyn James' greatest loves and biggest heart breaks. Falling in love with a man at an early age, Jordyn thought Jason was it for her; until she realized he was possessive, manipulative and just plain wrong. Jordyn thinks she has it all; perfect fiancé, a respectable job, a loving family but then her ex shows up staking his claim on her. Jordyn does everything in her power to steer the course and stay committed to Micah, but Jason is way too present for her to have her happily ever after. Thinking that she left Jason Tremaine in her former life, she'll soon discover he will try to get her back no matter the cost. Micah Bass is the new President and CEO of Bass Industries, a job he has been working for since he was a kid. After an upsetting and heart-breaking end to his first marriage, he thought he was ready to move on and then in walks Jordyn James. Micah falls hard for Jordyn and just as he is starting to feel like his life is unstoppable, he is thrown for a loop when his fiancé's ex shows up unannounced. Things only go down hill from there as he competes to try to save his relationship. Mistakes are made, trust is betrayed, and things aren't as happy in the budding relationship as everyone thought. In this finale, so many twists and turns come into play that neither Jordyn nor Micah are prepared for. Will their love conquer all? Can their love survive another storm?

Treat Me Like Somebody 2


Nikki Simms - 2015
    Nothing but a four letter word and in part two of Treat Me Like Somebody, you'll find out just how true that is. After forgiving Justice for sleeping with Tammi, Jaz gives him one more chance to prove that she is all he wants. She thinks he is on a straighten narrow until a certain someone moves back in town. Finding out that your mother isn't your mother is heart breaking. After confronting his mother he realized that he never really knew her. He fought hard to get Jaz to forgive him and just when everything is going good, the unexpected happens. Not wanting to lose the love of her life, Mya finally tells Harlem her big secret. After being caught in a room with Diesel, it really left her no choice. She thought that once she came clean, he would understand but she was sadly mistaken and regretted even opening her mouth. Harlem hated the day he met Mya. After learning her secret he wanted nothing more than to forget he even know Mya but after a tragic accident and almost losing her, he knows he don't want to witness life without her. There's only one problem Diesel. Take a ride with these couples as they witness betrayal, long lost lovers and damaged hearts. Will they find out what love truly is or will they fall deep into temptation.