Plays make for good reads—February 4, 2011
When you think about plays, you think about actors on stage performing. However plays can also be read for fun without being performed. Hastings Public Library has a great collection of play scripts that are great reads. Besides being great stories plays read really fast and are great if you don’t have that much time to read.
Try Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire. If this sounds familiar it’s because this play was recently turned into a movie starring Nichole Kidman. Rabbit Hole tells the story of two grieving parents who recently lost their son due to a car accident. Throughout the play they learn to love each other again and begin to find ways to move on with their lives.
August: Osage County, by Tracy Letts is a recent Pulitzer Prize winner, is a story about a family who must confront both their past and present. The Shape of Things, by Neil Labute, is about Evelyn an artist, who tries to change her new boyfriend Adam into a perfect work of art by influencing him to change his appearance and other aspects of his life. This play was also made into a movie starring Rachel Weisz.
Fans of Steve Martin might be interested to know that he has also written several plays. Picasso at the Lapin Agile and other plays is a collection of several of his shorter plays and will appeal to fans of his books.
If you like Agatha Christie’s mystery novels try The Mousetrap and Other Plays.” This collection of her plays include several that were written specifically for the stage, and a few that are based on some of her more famous novels.
Looking for a good laugh? Then try some plays by Christopher Durang. Twenty-Seven short Plays, includes some of his best plays that read quickly and will have you bursting with laughter.
Finally try Brighton Beach Memoirs, by Neil Simon. This classic play tells the story of a young Jewish boy and his family and the struggles that they face during World War 2.
These are just a few of the plays you can find at the Library. Besides being good reads play will give you a different reading experience that will have you wanting to read more. The library is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; and 9a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and 1p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
