Contemporary Plays by Women of Color: An Anthology

Abstract

Roberta Uno and Kathy Perkins have put together a riveting collection of plays from the United States called Contemporary Plays by Women of Color. This unique anthology brings together a multitude of Latina, African American, Asian and Native American voices which tell richly varied stories of racialized existence in America. The collection is provocative because it challenges us to think about the complexity of the politics of race, gender, class, sexuality and disability. Given the burden of demands often placed on the work of individual women of colour, this collection is sensibly and firmly heterogeneous in voice and form. It takes delicious liberties with the English language, undermining its limits, even as it also challenges and bends the limits of “western ” theatre. It provides essential reading for both students and teachers of theatre and drama and is a proverbial “pot of gold” for actors, directors and producers longing to enjoy socially engaging and entertaining scripts.