Out on a Limb: Short Plays by New Playwrights

What is the new generation of Canadian playwrights writing about? What makes them turn to theatre as the medium of choice? As they graduate from writing programs and intensives across the country, as they produce their work and take it to the festivals, what stories are they telling us?

This exciting anthology answers those questions. The writers come from theatre and creative writing schools across Canada, and the settings of their plays take us from large urban centres to small rural communities. Many of these new writers are young, some are not so young. These 12 short works by Canada's newest playwrights focuses on one-act plays that feature a small cast (one to three actors) and can be performed in under an hour. The characters range from sweet to unsettling, and all stops in between. The plays are witty and wise, and they are often hilarious. They offer fresh perspectives on universal problems: How do I find love? How should evil be dealt with? What do I do about loss? What makes a good person?

Included are:

Almost, Again by Briana Brown

Kiss Me Outside the Box by Carmen Cartterfield

Mature Young Adults by Wesley J. Colford

The Stillbirth by Kara Crabb

Waterfront: The Blessing by Leah Jane Esau

The Kharkiv Letters by Alexa Gilker

Red by Jordan Hall

Bathsheba by Jennifer Kearney

The Motherhouse by Tamara Langrandeur

Mrs. Ferguson's Bed by Sherryl Melnyk

Crazy Love by David Sklar

Third Person by Brandon Wicke

This anthology will be of particular interest to students and teachers looking for current, challenging scene work for young actors.