Christopher Durang Explains It All for You: 6 Plays

by Christopher Durang

Book Overview

Few playwrights have explored as relentlessly as Christopher Durang the pain and confusion of everyday life--or made us laugh so uproariously at the results. Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You, the center of a storm of controversy for its satire of misplaced trust in religious authority," remains as powerful today as when it was originally produced. The excruciatingly funny The Nature and Purpose of the Universe asks whether Eleanor Mann's...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802132324
• ISBN13: 9780802132321
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Grove Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Excellent

very witty, very funny, very easy to read. Fanatastic plays for any A-Level and AS level assesment, or for monologues. Truely exceptional.

It's all dark, and it's all good

While bowing to David Ives, still, there is no more hysterical, poignantly funny playwright than Christopher Durang, who manages to elevate what would what appear to be slapstick to the heights of masterfully absurd wit. From the comically dark Nature and Purpose of the Universe to the only slightly lighter-shade-of-black Sister Mary Ignatius, During melds silly props, maniacal family members and erudite dialogue that makes it all seem that much richer. He doesn't rely on one joke, but may have three going at any given time.Interesting, too, are the stage directions he includes with each of these six stories. It's fascinating to read how these plays have been presented, and how he prefers to see them presented. It's like being at the Dawn of Creation before man came along and screwed things up -- you get to know how the play should be in its purest form, and as a result you get more out of the reading.And while it's been said before, Sister Mary Ignatius -- the doctrinaire, no-nonsense nun visited by her scarred-for-life former students -- is everything a comedic play should be. Except, perhaps, not long enough.This is a book you can read literally in hours, but will probably turn to more than once.

yep yep......

may i just say that christopher durang rules.....

this is a great book for any theatre luver!

chris durang is one of the most talented playwrights of this century. his biting wit and sarcasm make you think and make you laugh. his attack on the american family and catholism are so harsh you can't help but feel if you shouldn't be laughing .

The master of low brow humor is at his best in this book.

Christopher Durang is one of the most talented playwrights of lude, tasteless, low brow humor that has ever lived. Whether it be the captain of the Titanic jumping out from behind a couch with a dildo strapped to his head, or a penisless boy being forced to have Gym with the girls, this book truly pushes the limits. The six plays contained in this book are all absolutely hilarious to say the least. They move fast and captivate the imagination with their underlying social commentary.