Twelve Plays

Oates displays her amazing versatility with these emotionally charged, powerful plays with contemporary themes. "Greensleeves" portrays a girl's grief after her friend dies of AIDS. "Ballad of Love Canal" shows the effects of toxic waste on one family. Feminism is the theme of "I Stand Before You Naked," a collage play in which 12 different women expose their souls to the audience. Many of the plays deal with the difficulties of relationships. In "Black" a man, his ex-wife, and her new black lover form a strange triangle. In "Tone Clusters" the amplified voice actually becomes a character in the play. "The Eclipse" is dominated by a shadow falling across the stage. Many of the plays are experimental and surreal, and are meant to be performed before an audience. ISBN 0-525-93376-X: $19.95.