num_pages: 72
description: A double-volume of two one-act comedies from a leading figure in late 20th century Black theatre. Blending biting satire, farce, and absurdism, Douglas Turner Ward turns a sharp eye on the social, moral, and racial biases that permeate American society. In Day of Absence , all of the Black residents of an unnamed Southern town suddenly disappear, leaving the white residents to fend for themselves. As babies cry without their caretakers and factory production grinds to a halt, the town quickly descends into chaos when the white townspeople find themselves utterly incapable of maintaining a functioning society. Happy Ending follows two sisters, Ellie and Vi, who work as a maid and laundress for the wealthy Harrison family. When Mr. Harrison discovers his wife’s infidelity, the sisters are faced with the grim prospect of the dissolution of the household—which Ellie and Vi rely on to maintain their lives more than the Harrisons realize.
language: English
title: Happy Ending and A Day of Absence.
titlecomplete: Happy Ending and A Day of Absence. (Acting Edition for Theater Productions)
genres: Theatre, Drama, Plays
ratings_count: 58
publisher: Dramatists Play Service, Inc.