(Best American Short Plays). For more than 70 years, The Best American Short Pla
ys has been the standard of excellence for one-act plays in America. From its in
ception, it has identified cutting-edge playwrights Tennessee Williams, Edward A
lbee, and others who have gone on to establish award-winning careers. The Best A
merican Short Plays 2013-2014 takes a look at our changing times. "Uncertain" se
ems to be the watchword of today's world, full of surprises, shocks, and even a
few delights. Uncertainty brings with it fear and insecurity, as well as nostalg
ic longing for the good old days, but for some, uncertainty means opportunity an
d along with it the prospect of change for the better. This volume explores vari
ous experiences of uncertainty and includes a series of nine plays gathered by D
aniel Gallant, entitled Nine Signs of the Times, as well as short plays by Neil
LaBute, John Guare, Laura Shaine Cunningham, Daniel F. Levin, Quincy Long, Halle
y Feiffer, Caridad Svich, and Clay McLeod Chapman. This collection will be compl
emented by a range of plays from around the country by playwrights likewise obse
rving and digesting the signs of the times. Together the plays of this volume wo
rk as a time capsule, capturing the fears and longings of a world on the verge a
nd in the midst of big changes, hopefully for the better but quite possibly for
the worse.
