Blood on the Stage, 1975-2000: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery, and Detection
In this fourth volume of the series, author Kabatchnik provides an overview of milestone plays that deal with a wide variety of topics—murder, theft, chicanery, kidnapping, political intrigue, or espionage. Chronologically arranged entries include plot synopses (spoiler alert!), production information, and critical and scholarly opinions. The variety of plays included, from American Buffalo, Chicago, Death and the Maiden and Extremities to M. Butterfly, The Mystery of Irma Vep, and Sweeney Todd, offers ample proof that the genre is alive and well on the American stage. Appendixes include an essay on plays in which “poison has claimed victims on the stage,” a list of courtroom dramas, a list of death-row plays, an essay about plays featuring children in peril, and a list of notable one-act plays. If you like your theater bloody, this is the reference book for you. --Carolyn Mulac