American Political Plays: An Anthology

Library Journal

Havis calls these seven plays political because each of them reflects prevailing ideas and significant events of the 1990s. Naomi Wallace's "In the Heart of America" portrays an Arab American's dilemma when he is called upon to fight other Arabs in George Bush Sr.'s Persian Gulf War in 1990. She also explores racism and homophobia in the U.S. Army. Havis's own "The Gift," a play about academic politics, exposes a university president's homosexual relationship with a young student. Russell Lees's "Nixon's Nixon," is a riveting fictional conversation between Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger on August 7, 1994, just before Nixon's resignation from the Presidency. Other playwrights included are: Suzan-Lori Parks, Velina Hasu Houston, Jos Rivera, and Mac Wellman. These seven plays are gripping and entertaining from start to finish. Highly recommended for academic collections and all public libraries. Bob Ivey, Univ. of Memphis Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.