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Five One Act Plays

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The perfect young woman and her perfect young boyfriend in MADE FOR A WOMAN are perfect examples of the image conscious society in which we live. She has everything and he does too, and they have each other. All is fine until she feels duped by a case of over-packaging, her world falls apart, and she decides to take matters into her own hands in a dangerous way. (1 man, 1 woman)

In BACHELOR HOLIDAY a mouse, caught in a glue trap, causes three roommates to discuss the meaning of life, death, yuppiedom, karma and the harsh reality of their place on the food chain. (3 men)

Over a POWER LUNCH a highly ambitious couple battle for power and control of their relationship even though they've just met. So serious are they that they even use the wait staff as tools of jealousy. (2 men, 2 women)

In THE M WORD two ambitious executives decide that they are good for each other and proceed to negotiate a future together. As they're so caught up in the corporate lifestyle, this truly is a negotiation and in the end, they agree to "merge." (1 man, 1 woman)

YOUR MOTHER'S BUTT focuses on a therapist desperately searching for clues to help her seriously disturbed young patient. As the patient rattles on about shoes and belts, he recalls a dream he had about his mother, and the therapist thinks she's got her answer. (1 man, 1 woman)

110 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

33 people want to read

About the author

Alan Ball

90 books56 followers
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Alan Ball is an Academy Award-winning screenwriter, director, producer and occasional actor, who is best known for writing the screenplay for the Oscar-winning film American Beauty, and for creating the HBO original drama series Six Feet Under.

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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Profile Image for behsforensics.
948 reviews2 followers
Want to Read
May 3, 2025
Cutting is for Your Mother’s Butt
By Alan Ball

Another cutting is for The M Word
By Alan Ball
33 reviews1 follower
August 13, 2008
Even those his one-act plays ended up being more like stylized sketches than I would have expected (although it did serve as a wonderful reminder of just how stylized, "American Beauty" really is) it is still some of the funnier material of read in a while. One of very few playwrights who can actually make me laugh out loud as I'm reading. Oh what weird fun.
Profile Image for J.
1,214 reviews81 followers
August 23, 2007
Ball is scary good here. Social commentary at it's vicious best.
Profile Image for Kristina Cole.
58 reviews5 followers
December 4, 2010
Wildly disappointing, considering I love Alan Ball's tv writing. People are materialistic and self-absorbed, I get it! These plays lacked nuance.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews