Myth, Magic, and Farce
Four Multicultural Plays by Sterling Houston
Published on 28. February 2005
Book
Paperback/Softback
128 pages
978-1-57441-187-4 (ISBN)
Description
Sterling Houston is an innovative African American writer whose plays are known for biting social commentary combined with eye-popping theatricality. Despite many successful productions, his work has never before been widely available in print. The four plays in this collection represent Houston's full range of themes and styles. High Yello Rose deflates the Alamo myth by casting the heroes' parts entirely with women. Isis in Nubia is a love story that sets the Isis/Osiris myth in West Africa. Black Lily and White Lily is a realistic domestic drama exploring racial tensions. Miranda Rites returns to Houston's broadly farcical style, enacting Martha Mitchell's last days in a hospital, where she hallucinates about Marilyn Monroe and Dorothy Dandridge, and is escorted to the underworld by Carmen Miranda.
Reviews / Votes
The reading public, as well as the theatre community and academic theatre programs, need many more plays of the sort Houston writes, to teach their students, to consider producing, and to join a cultural conversation about politics, history, race, class, and nation. - Jill Dolan, Z. T. Scott Family Chair in Drama, University of TexasMore details
Edition
New
Language
English
Place of publication
Denton
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
5 photographs
Dimensions
Height: 220 mm
Width: 141 mm
Thickness: 10 mm
Weight
195 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-57441-187-4 (9781574411874)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Born in San Antonio, Sterling Houston has spent thirty years in the theatre as actor, composer, and playwright. He is artistic director and writer-in-residence for Jump-Start Performance Co. in San Antonio, where he has premiered twenty plays since 1988. Sandra M. Mayo is currently Director of Multicultural and Gender Studies and Associate Professor of Theatre at Texas State University in San Marcos.