Contemporary Women Playwrights: Into the 21st Century

About this book

Breaking new ground in this century this wide-ranging collection of essays is the first of its kind to address the work of contemporary international women playwrights. The book considers the work of established playwrights such as Caryl Churchill Marie Clements Lara Foot-Newton Maria Irene Fornes Sarah Kane Lisa Kron Young Jean Lee Lynn Nottage Suzan-Lori Parks Djanet Sears Caridad Svich and Judith Thompson but it also foregrounds important plays by many emerging writers. Divided into three sections-Histories Conflicts and Genres-the book explores such topics as the feminist history play solo performance transcultural dramaturgies the identity play the gendered terrain of war and eco-drama and encompasses work from the United States Canada Latin America Oceania South Africa Egypt and the United Kingdom. With contributions from leading international scholars and an introductory overview of the concerns and challenges facing women playwrights in this new century Contemporary Women Playwrights explores the diversity and power of womens playwriting since 1990 highlighting key voices and examining crucial critical and theoretical developments within the field.