Coastal Disturbances: Four Plays

by Tina Howe

Tina Howe once said that her aim is "to present a lovely exterior, then seduce the audience into the dark and mysterious places inside." Her four major plays to date are noted for their unusual and elegant an art museum, a French restaurant, a Beacon Hill townhouse, a New England beach. These worlds overflow with hilarious, outlandish, vivid life -- wittily imagined, eloquently rendered, fearlessly explored. Their inhabitants are absurd, anguished, gallant. A delight to experience in the theatre, the tragicomedies of this acclaimed American artist are just as engaging to read.
  Coastal Disturbances, Painting Churches. The Art of Dining  and  Museum.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Theatre

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Tina Howe (November 21, 1937 – August 28, 2023) was an American playwright.

Reviews

[Eliza Hesselgrave]

Not all of the plays in this collection are of equal distinction. However, "Painting Churches" and "The Art of Dining" became two instant favorites of mine as I read them. "Coastal Disturbances" was fascinating to me, and "Museum," though not quite to my taste, was equally fascinating to read as an introduction to Howe's work. I highly recommend that anyone who enjoyed these plays read an interview or two with Tina Howe, who was a highly intelligent, charismatic, and hillarious woman. A new favorite playwright of mine

[Kimberly]

I had a copy of just coastal disturbances, but coastal disturbances alone wasn't an option on Goodreads. This play was all right, I wasn't sure what the point of it was, but the dialogue and characters were very interesting.

[Lena]

picked it up from a give away box, and pretty much adored the richness of the plays in it. the art of dining and coastal disturbances were my absolute favourites. howe’s plays strive on chaos that somehow manages to result in humour. glad i found it and would recommend!

[Michael]

I'm reading several plays as I am on a play-reading committee to select the season for a community theatre in town, and Coastal Disturbances is one of those that we are reviewing. I was looking forward to it as it is a female playwright, and set on a North Short beach in Massachusetts. I also confess to just learning how to read plays, which sometimes makes it difficult for me to judge if they are good or not.

This one left me a little cold with the somewhat stereotypical characters and their occasional, sudden, outlandish behavior. The tone is strong, and the two children's roles are fun, but overall the story left me rather cold and disappointed.

[Susannah]

Painting Churches finished April 7, 1999

[Pamela J]

"Museum" is probably my favorite piece in this collection. Also, Howe is a gifted translator; she published a translation of Ionesco's Bald Soprano & The Lesson.