Book Description

A collection of dark comedies about terrible therapists, dysfunctional parents, and more, from a winner of a Tony Award for Best Play and three Obies. Known for his dark, absurd humor and social commentary, Christopher Durang explores the pain and confusion of everyday life—and makes audiences laugh uproariously at the results. Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You, the center of a storm of controversy for its satire of misplaced trust in religious authority, remains as powerful today as when it was originally produced. The excruciatingly funny The Nature and Purpose of the Universe asks whether Eleanor Mann’s Job-like suffering is really her fault, while Titanic takes us into the heart of children’s anger with their parents and parents’ manipulation of their children. In Beyond Therapy, two horrifyingly human therapists pursue their own needs at the expense of the most mismatched couple ever to meet through a personal ad. Also including ’Dentity Crisis and The Actor’s Nightmare, this collection demonstrates that laughter is the best surgery, slicing through prejudice and hypocrisy, cutting out dead beliefs and inflamed opinions. These black comedies, lit by lightning bolts of truth and humor, come from “one of the most explosively funny American dramatists” (Newsweek). Includes: The Nature and Purpose of the Universe ’Dentity Crisis Titanic The Actor’s Nightmare Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You Beyond Therapy