Roberta Uno - Contemporary Plays by Women of Color: An Anthology

Contemporary Plays by Women of Color

In the two decades since the first edition of Contemporary Plays by Women of Color was published, its significance to the theatrical landscape in the United States has grown exponentially.

Work by female writers and writers of color is more widely produced, published, and studied than ever before. Drawing from an exciting range of theaters, large and small, from across the country, Roberta Uno brings together an up-to-date selection of plays from renowned and emerging playwrights tackling a variety of topics. From the playful to the painful, this revised and updated edition presents a rich array of voices, aesthetics, and stories for a transforming America.

Roberta Uno is a theater director and Director of Arts in a Changing America based at the California Institute for the Arts.

I wish I could be in the room when a reader experiences seeing themselves represented on a page, perhaps for the first time. It is a powerful, even life-changing, gift. Fierce, intelligent, flawed and funny, these voices are too often unheard.

Maha Chelahoui, Co-founder, NOOR Theatre

If we want to claim America belongs to all of us, then we better make sure the theater is a place where all of us can speak. Roberta Unos wonderful book provides stirring support for that inclusive vision.

Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director, The Public Theater

Roberta Uno once again is forging a path a decade ahead. These inspired, complex, and brilliant playwrights are accelerating us towards the future of the American theater.

Kamilah Forbes, Director

The first edition found its way to me freshman year of college. It was truth and permissionunapologetic, funny, furious, and as diverse as the world I had experienced. Local theaters were not producing these plays, high school teachers were not assigning these plays, but yet here they wereshowing me these stories do exist, do matter.

Quiara Alegra Hudes, Playwright, Pulitzer Prize for Drama

An invaluable collection of works from voices at the frontiers of our culture. I have always looked to Roberta Uno to find the bravest voices of writers who will ultimately define their generations collective spirit.

Jim Nicola, Artistic Director, New York Theatre Workshop

This book fills me with joy at seeing many of the contemporary plays I most admire, anticipation of meeting new writers whose work it is essential that I know, and hope that our field doesnt have to lag behind in fully reflecting who we are as a society. This is a must-have volume.

Bill Rauch, Oregon Shakespeare Festival

This anthology is at the vanguard of theater that challenges and transforms this anthology is not only about diversity and excellent theatre, it is essential to understanding ourselves.

Mia Yoo, Artistic Director, La MaMa Theatre, NYC

An Anthology

Second Edition

Edited by
Roberta Uno

Assistant Editors:
Kristen Adele Calhoun,
Daniela Alvarez,
and Kassandra L. Khalil

Second edition published 2018
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN

and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

2018 selection and editorial matter, Roberta Uno; individual chapters, the contributors

The right of Roberta Uno to be identified as the author of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

First edition published by Routledge 1996

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Uno, Roberta, 1956- editor.
Title: Contemporary plays by women of color / edited by Roberta Uno; [and three others].
Description: Second edition. | Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: New York: Routledge, 2017.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017011437 | ISBN 9781138189454 (hardback) | ISBN 9781138189461 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781315641584 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: American dramaMinority authors. | American drama Women authors. | American drama20th century. | American drama 21st century. | WomenUnited StatesDrama. | Minority women Drama. | MinoritiesDrama.
Classification: LCC PS627.M5 C66 2017 | DDC 812/.60809287dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017011437

ISBN: 978-1-138-18945-4 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-18946-1 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-64158-4 (ebk)

Typeset in Bembo
by codeMantra

In memory of my mother, Kiku Uno, and aunt, Fumiko Ide.
The sisters who taught me to love words and story.

We extend our gracious thanks to the following individuals who connected us to many of the playwrights included in this collection: Keith Josef Adkins, Leonard Berkman, Maha Chehlaoui, Jorge Cortias, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, Tim Dang, Ty Defoe, Snehal Desai, Abby Dobson, Oskar Eustis, Kamilah Forbes, Jamil Khoury, Jenny Koons, Danielle Kovacs, Quiara Alegra Hudes, Maurine Knighton, Steven Lavine and the California Institute of the Arts, Eun Lee, Madison Lee, Jeff Liu, Sade Lythcott, Raphael Martin, Jonathan McCrory, Margaret Morton, Dipankar Mukherjee, Meena Natarajan, Jim Nicola, Evren Odcikin, Margaret Odette, Jorge Ortoll, Ralph Pea, Kathy Perkins, Corey Pond, Marlne Ramrez-Cancio, Bill Rauch, Emily Simoness and SPACE on Ryder Farm, Lloyd Suh, Diana Taylor and the New York University Hemispheric Institute for Performance and Politics, Mia Yoo, Darren Walker and the Ford Foundation, and Torange Yeghiazarian.

The editors are deeply appreciative of Elizabeth Webb for manuscript preparation as well as the work of Maia Paraginog, T. J. Keanu Tario, and Namiko Uno for their assistance with appendix research.

The publisher would like to thank the following for permission to reproduce their material:

He Lei no Kkko: Woven Memories 2015 TRGBaker. For permission for a staged reading or production of this work, please contact Tammy Hailipua Baker (tbaker@hawaii.edu). All rights reserved.

Etchings in the Sand 2000 Ananya Chatterjea & Meena Natarajan. For permission for a staged reading or production of this work, please contact Meena Natarajan at meena@pangeaworldtheater.org. All rights reserved.

Daughter of a Cuban Revolutionary 2007 Marissa Chibas. For permission for a staged reading or production of this work, please contact CalArts Center for New Performance at 661-253-7853 or nvoss@calarts.edu. All rights reserved.

The Wild Inside 2009 Cusi Cram. For permission for a staged reading or production of this work, please contact Christ Till at Creative Artists Agency, Chris.Till@caa.com or 212-277-9000. All rights reserved.