Well, we all had fun - - -

Both sections of Theatre H101 for Autumn 2007 are now history. Papers written and graded, plays read in class, and 45 honors students have now explored how theatre is produced. I'm grateful to the playwrights who participated. Each class read aloud three plays, and we brought in three playwrights (others not available due to scheduling, alas).


Julia Perlstein and Jessica Mull smile after Jessica and her classmates read Julia's wonderful comedy, PLINKO!, or, The Goddess of Static Cling

Robert Gately came in from Pennsylvania for a reading of his comedy about three elderly men who've vowed to score a touchdown at the Super Bowl, Hat Trick. Louisville playwright Nancy Gall-Clayton (whose short play, English Therapy, was on Ohio State's season this fall) was present as students read her play, The Snowflake Theory. Julia Perlstein flew in from New York for the reading of PLINKO!, or, The Goddess of Static Cling, a satiric comedy. Sadly, Caridad Svich couldn't be in Columbus for the reading of her reimagining Lope de Vega's Spanish Golden Age classic, The Labyrinth of Desire (which is on the Department of Theatre mainstage this winter), nor could Vicki Cheatwood for her 'rapture comedy,' Fits and Starts: The Sacred Heart. And Paul North was in Rome on a residency, and so couldn't be in Columbus when his drama, The Gambler's Daughter, was read. We were given an unexpected bonus when Cleveland playwright Linda Eisenstein was able to stop by for a visit; although her Cyrano Rehearsed was studied, it wasn't one of the plays chosen for a class reading. But Linda's candor about the trials, tribulations, and joys of playwriting was eyeopening for many of the students, as were the open and exciting discussions that Bob, Nancy, and Julia participated in. Our Ohio State students now have a very complete picture of the role of theatre artists in generals, working playwrights in particular! Much thanks to all the playwrights who participated this time around, and to all those who were willing to be part of the process but whose plays wound up not being studied because there were a few fewer students enrolled than the maximum possible. The playwrights and play that were studied:

Shirley Barrie: The Pear Is Ripe
Ludmilla Bollow: In the Rest Room at Rosenbloom's
Ray Bottochio: Dead Wrong
George O. Brome: Unconventional Warplay
Hindi Brooks: Happily—Even After
Katherine Burkman, et al.: Yoga Warriors
Jim Cary: Good Night
Vicki Cheatwood: Fits and Starts: The Sacred Heart
Donald Drake: The Passage
Linda Eisenstein: Rehearsing Cyrano
Robert Gagely: Hat Trick
Nancy Gall-Clayton: The Snowflake Theory
Kristen Greenidge: Rust
Michael Halpern: Dancing With William Blake
Jay D. Hanagan: Willie’s Kitchen
G.L. Horton: Against the Dying of the Light
Robert Houser: Empty Places
Judy Juanita: Theodicy
Sherry Kramer: When Something Wonderful Ends
David Kravitz: The Standoff
Larry Loebell: Girl Science
James McLindon: For Unto Us
Carlos Murillo: dark play, or, stories for boys
Rebecca Nesvet: The Shape Shifter
Paul North: The Gambler’s Daughter
Rich Orloff: Advanced Chemistry
Tira Palmquist: Coyote Rising
Patricia Parker: Mercy
Julia Pearlstein: PLINKO! Or, The Goddess of Static Cling
Carol Lynn Pearson: Facing East
Sandra Perlman: In Search of Red River Dog
Bonnie Rozanski: Still-Life With Dog
Marcia Rudin: The Carina Limone Museum
Jewel Seehaus-Fisher: My Sister Underground
Madelyn Sergel: Another Piece of Cake
Mark Scharf: The Whispers of Saints
Faye Sholitan: Telling Lives
Marcia Slatkin: Memory
Lynn Snyder: Older Than Dead
Caridad Svich: The Labyrinth of Desire
Cynthia Wands: An American Woman
Maurice Weinblatt: World Enough and Time
Ken Weitzman: The As-If Body Loop
Marcia Wilkie: Living Room


As has been our experience before, these classes worked very well--students enjoyed exploring new work and interacting with playwrights, and the playwrights were generous with their time, energy, and expertise.