Playwright Steven Dietz once said playwrights have "the adaptability of cockroaches"-that they're able to nimbly adjust to new circumstances and mediums. This was never in greater evidence than during the coronavirus pandemic, when-with theaters shuttered and stages darkened-writers and performers across the world scrambled to master the art of theater via remote video. Even as life haltingly returns to normal, it is clear that the experiences of 2020-21 have dramatically altered the landscape of theatermaking, as artists continue to 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: encompassing both traditional and experimental plays, from solo pieces to large-cast dramas, and taking place within single settings, multiple settings, or even in a utopian "nowhere." Throughout, these selections all help to bring playwrighting fully into our new era, embodying the sense of magic that comes from simple moments of human connection, even when we cannot be together.
John Patrick Bray is a playwright, screenwriter, and teacher at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA. 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 Playwrights and Plays. His plays have been presented all over the U.S., as well as in England, Ireland, Italy, and Canada - and online! John has a doctorate in Theatre from Louisiana State University and an MFA in Playwriting from The Actors Studio Drama School at The New School.
"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
