| Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | xiii |
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| ARE YOU READY? | |
| by David Auburn (Comic/30s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 1 |
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| AT THE VANISHING POINT | |
| by Naomi Iizuka (Comic/Early 20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 3 |
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| BAD DATES | |
| by Theresa Rebeck (Seriocomic/Late 30s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 6 |
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| THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST | |
| by Tom Donaghy (Seriocomic/Late 30s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 10 |
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| BOYS AND GIRLS | |
| by Tom Donaghy (Serious/Early 30s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 12 |
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| BOXING IT | |
| by Christine Emmert (Seriocomic/20s/Australian) . . . . . . . . . | 15 |
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| BUNNY'S LAST NIGHT IN LIMBO | |
| by Peter Petralia (Comic/Young Teen) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 19 |
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| THE COMMITTEE | |
| by Brian Dykstra (Comic/Late 20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 21 |
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| COMMUNICATING THROUGH THE SUNSET | |
| by Kerri Kochanski (Serious/Teens) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 23 |
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| THE DANCE | |
| by Lenning A. Davis Jr. (Serious/Teens/40s) . . . . . . . . . . . | 26 |
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| DEAD CITY | |
| by Sheila Callaghan (Seriocomic/40s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 28 |
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| THE DIANALOGUES | |
| by Laurel Haines (1. Comic/Late 20s, 2. Comic/20s) . . . . . . . . | 31 |
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| DOG ASSASSIN | |
| by Stephen A. Schrum (Comic/20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 38 |
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| DOG MY CATS, OR THE STALKER PLAY | |
| by Gaylord Brewer (Comic/Mid-30s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 40 |
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| DOTTIE | |
| by Staci Swedeen (Comic/Middle-Aged) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 42 |
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| ELEPHANT | |
| by Margie Stokley (1. Comic/17, 2. Serious/40s) . . . . . . . . . | 45 |
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| THE EMPTY STAGE | |
| by Murray Schisgal (1. Serious/50s, 2. Serious/Early 20s) . . . . | 49 |
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| ENTER THE NIGHT | |
| by Maria Irene Fornes (Serious/Middle-Aged) . . . . . . . . . . . | 55 |
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| FABULATION, OR THE RE-EDUCATION OF UNDINE | |
| by Lynn Nottage (Serious/30s/Black) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 58 |
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| THE FACE IN THE MIRROR | |
| by Phil Zwerling (Seriocomic/Teen/Black) . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 61 |
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| FAT PIG | |
| by Neil LaBute (Serious/20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 63 |
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| FEATHER | |
| by Claudia Barnett (Serious/20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 65 |
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| FIT FOR FEET | |
| by Jordan Harrison (Serious/20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 69 |
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| A FRIDAY NIGHT TRANS-AM RIDE | |
| by Andrea Moon (Serious/Mid-20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 72 |
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| GEM OF THE OCEAN | |
| by August Wilson (Serious/Very Old/Black) . . . . . . . . . . . . | 74 |
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| THE GHOST MOMENTS | |
| by Randy Wyatt (1. Serious/Late 20s-Early 30s, 2. Serious/Middle-Aged) | 77 |
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| GOLDA'S BALCONY | |
| by William Gibson (Serious/Middle-Aged) . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 81 |
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| HALO | |
| by Ken Urban (Serious/20s or 30s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 84 |
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| HEARTBREAKER | |
| by John Meyer (Serious/46) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 86 |
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| THE HIGHWAYMAN | |
| by Julia Jarcho (Serious/20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 88 |
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| HOUSE ARREST | |
| by Anna Deavere Smith (Serious/30s/Black) . . . . . . . . . . . . | 91 |
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| HYPOCRITES AND STRIPPERS | |
| by Kim Yaged (Comic/20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 99 |
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| THE INTELLIGENT DESIGN OF JENNY CHOW | |
| by Rolin Jones (Comic/22/Asian-American) . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 101 |
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| JESUS HOPPED THE A TRAIN | |
| by Stephen Adly Guirgis (Seriocomic/30s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 103 |
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| JOHNNY BEHIND THE DEUCE | |
| by Lydia Lunch (Serious/Ageless) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 106 |
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| KALIGHAT | |
| by Paul Knox (Serious/25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 110 |
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| KAWAISOO (THE PITY OF THINGS) | |
| by Jason Grote (Serious/Late 20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 112 |
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| KID-SIMPLE | |
| by Jordan Harrison (Serious/Teens) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 115 |
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| THE LANGUAGE OF KISSES | |
| by Edmund De Santis (Serious/Early 20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 117 |
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| LET IT GO | |
| by Crystal Field (Seriocomic/Teen) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 119 |
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| LOLA'S VISION | |
| by Stephen Fife (Seriocomic/17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 122 |
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| LOST AND FOUND | |
| by Dori Appel (1. Serious/Early 20s, 2. Comic/40s) . . . . . . . . | 125 |
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| LOT'S DAUGHTERS | |
| by Rebecca Basham (1. Serious/Teens, 2. Serious/Teens) . . . . . . | 130 |
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| THE LUDICROUS TRIAL OF MR. P | |
| by Susan Yankowitz (Serious/Ageless) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 134 |
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| MARGO VEIL: AN ENTERTAINMENT | |
| by Len Jenkin (Serious/Late Teens) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 136 |
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| THE MERCY SEAT | |
| by Neil LaBute (Serious/Early 40s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 138 |
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| MESSAGE FROM THE DRIVER | |
| by Katie Bull (Serious/20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 141 |
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| MISS WITHERSPOON | |
| by Christopher Durang (Seriocomic/Mid-40s to Late 50s) . . . . . . | 143 |
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| MOTHER TO SON | |
| by Winter Miller (Serious/15-40/Black) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 147 |
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| NEW YORK | |
| by David Rimmer (1. Serious/40s, 2. Serious/17) . . . . . . . . . | 149 |
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| NIGHT TRAIN TO BOLINA | |
| by Nilo Cruz (Serious/30s/Latina) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 155 |
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| ORANGE FLOWER WATER | |
| by Craig Wright (Seriocomic/30s or Early 40s) . . . . . . . . . . | 158 |
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| ORANGE LEMON EGG CANARY | |
| by Rinne Groff (Comic/20s or 30s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 160 |
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| OUR SON'S WEDDING | |
| by Donna de Matteo (Seriocomic/50s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 162 |
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| PROBLEM PLAY | |
| by Thomas McCormack (Serious/Early 20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 166 |
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| PROPHECY | |
| by Karen Malpede (1. Serious/50s, 2. Serious 30s/Palestinian) . . | 168 |
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| READ THE GODDAMN POEM | |
| by Anne Elliott (Comic/Late 20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 174 |
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| REAL PORNOGRAPHY | |
| by Lydia Lunch (Serious/Ageless) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 177 |
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| THE REBIRTH | |
| by Lisa Soland (Seriocomic/76) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 183 |
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| ROCK THE LINE | |
| by Kathleen Warnock (Seriocomic/20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 191 |
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| SANS-CULOTTES IN THE PROMISED LAND | |
| by Kirsten Greenidge (Serious/25/Black) . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 194 |
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| SCENES FROM AN UNFINISHED LIFE | |
| by Leigh Kennicott (Seriocomic/Late Teens) . . . . . . . . . . . . | 196 |
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| SECOND | |
| by Neal Utterback (Seriocomic/Late 20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 198 |
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| THE SECRET OF LIFE | |
| by David Simpatico (Seriocomic/Late 20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 201 |
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| SEPARATION ANXIETY | |
| by June Rifkin (Comic/60s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 204 |
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| SILENCE | |
| by Brian Dykstra (Seriocomic/Teens) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 206 |
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| THE SIX THAT FELL | |
| by Laura Henry (Comic/Late 20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 209 |
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| SMALL DOMESTIC ACTS | |
| by Joan Lipkin (Serious/30s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 211 |
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| SOME GIRL(S) | |
| by Neil LaBute (Serious/30s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 213 |
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| SONGS OF THE DRAGONS FLYING TO HEAVEN | |
| by Young Jean Lee (Seriocomic/20s/Korean-American) . . . . . . . . | 215 |
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| SOUL HEALING | |
| by Bob Shuman (Serious/Late 30s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 218 |
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| SOUVENIR | |
| by Stephen Temperley (Serious/Middle-Aged) . . . . . . . . . . . . | 222 |
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| SPINE | |
| by Jessie McCormack (1. Comic/Mid-20s, 2. Comic/Mid-20s) . . . . . | 226 |
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| STRING FEVER | |
| by Jacquelyn Reingold (Seriocomic/40s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 230 |
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| TEOTWAWKI | |
| by Jo J. Adamson (Comic/40s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 231 |
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| TRAIN STORY | |
| by Adam Rapp (Serious/30s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 235 |
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| THE 29 QUESTIONS PROJECT | |
| by Hillary Rollins (Serious/20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 239 |
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| A VISIT TO THE ARCHIVE | |
| by Holly Hughes (Comic/Ageless) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 242 |
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| WAITING | |
| by Lisa Soland (Comic/21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 245 |
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| WAR OF NERVES | |
| by Stephen Fife (Comic/20s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 248 |
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| WHEN GRACE COMES IN | |
| by Heather McDonald (Serious/42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 252 |
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| WHITE RUSSIAN | |
| by Joseph Goodrich (1. Serious/Early 20s, 2. Serious/Early 20s) . | 254 |
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| YEMAYA'S BELLY | |
| by Quiara Alegria Hudes (Serious/Teens/Latina) . . . . . . . . . . | 258 |
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| YIT, NGAY (ONE, TWO) | |
| by Michael Lew (Serious/Ageless/Chinese) . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 261 |
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| Play Sources and Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 263 |