Wish in One Hand Spit in the Other: A Collection of Plays by Suzan Zeder

by Pearson-Davis Susan (Editor), Pearson-Davis Susan (Editor)

Eight of Suzan Zeder's plays, each widely produced and popular, are in this anthology, a collection of her first works for stage. Zeder is one of the most imaginative playwrights of her generation, and is best known for the depth and dimension of her child protagonists, the bold handling of contemporary themes and issues. She is theatrically exciting and surprising. Here are the titles for which she is famous - STEP ON A CRACK, WILEY AND THE HAIRY MAN, DOORS, MOTHER HICKS. Here are her well-crafted adaptations - - OZMA OF OZ, THE PLAY CALLED NOAH'S FLOOD. And here are recent works -- OTHER DOORS, IN A ROOM SOMEWHERE. They range from comedy to drama, realism to fantasy, uniquely blending styles and themes. For these reasons, among many, she early received the coveted Chorpenning Cup from the Children's Theatre Association of America. Twice her plays have been named for the Distinguished Play Award of the American Association of Theatre for Youth.

600 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1990

Reviews

[Mark Woodland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a GREAT collection of plays by a very talented writer. Susan Zeder writes plays that are aimed at young people, some even falling into the category of "children's plays" for the very young, but she has a way of doing it that makes them interesting for any age to read, or especially, watch. I've seen productions of two of the plays in this book; one of them, Mother Hicks, is a wonderful story and the production really brought it to life. See anything by Zeder if you get the chance. That being said, though, the question is whether or not the book is worth reading on its own. I say yes, because Zeder is a very good storyteller with the flair of writing for young audiences without writing DOWN to them, a tendency I don't like in any written work. Her work is in total opposition to something like The Love for Three Oranges, which I also reviewed. The book, I think, is currently out of print (though the plays are published