Overall, this book is rated 3.5/5, because, although the three plays are engaging, the first one is the more digestible and fun one. And even if I value the experimental quality of the second one, and the cruel ending and intricate characters of the third one, they don’t compare with the first, which I imagine would the most interesting of the three when being put on stage.
As an additional note—which is entirely my fault as a novice play reader—, it’s hard to follow which character is which only by how they speak and a simple description of their personal attire to begin with. That made the reading confusing, particularly with the ambition and scope of “Camino Real”. The same can be said about the setting description: intricate and detailed at first, but once one reads through it can be easy to forget where is the story taking place.
I really enjoyed these three plays. While The Rose Tattoo is the most digestible (and the headliner), the other two, Camino Real and Orpheus Descending had redeeming value. Camino Real was most difficult but had some interesting points, and I liked Orpheus Descending for the characters and I could relate to Val the guitar player with the snakeskin jacket; and he discovers the dark secrets of the society enters and brings new life to the town and Lady.