this collection contains three full-length plays: LET'S PLAY TWO, THE LIVING, &amp; SHOW AND TELL

Plays By Anthony Clarvoe

Literature & Fiction

Clarvoe, Anthony

Dramas & Plays

Broadway Play Publishing

Winner of the Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding New Play

Ambition Facing West

Broadway Play Publishing, Incorporated

This literary masterpiece by one of the world's greatest authors is brought to vibrant life in this new adaptation. Four estranged brothers unexpectedly come together in their father's village, knowing that one intends to commit a terrible crime, but not knowing which of them will do it. Every fact, every motive, every belief about human nature, faith and redemption are questioned in this dynamic quest for truth. "Anthony Clarvoe's adaptation of Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov is a grand achievement, a reminder of how good theater can be. This excellent show satisfies and impresses in equal measure." --Terry Morgan, Variety "THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV has been my steady companion since opening night. It's a dazzling, existential whodunit about patricide, the existence of God and the anatomy of human nature. Clarvoe is among contemporary American dramatists pioneering a different path along common ground, that uses American experience, language that is both rich and familiar, behavior that is both complex and identifiable, to find a non-threatening yet provocative and challenging way into the classics." --Jackie Demaline, The Cincinnati Enquirer "Clarvoe's carefully wrought play is richly layered, with bold comedic touches leavening the serious themes. THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV addresses the mind, the spirit and the funny bone, and will not quickly be forgotten." --Patricia Corrigan, St Louis Post-Dispatch "Clarvoe's ability to take moments of the past and make them highly magnified, slightly unfocused and yet strangely rational views of today, has been shown before; his plays THE LIVING and SHOW AND TELL had successful productions ..." --Joe Pollack, Variet

The Brothers Karamazov

DOSTOEVSKY, FYODOR

"As Gunpowder Joe begins, Mary Priestley urges her world-famous husband to flee as a mob approaches their home in Birmingham, England. But the scientist, whose political writings have inflamed his foes previously, isn't perturbed. It will be fine', Joseph Priestley tells his worried wife. They have been content to hang me in effigy for years.' They may be done pretending', Mary retorts. Thus, the world premiere of Anthony Clarvoe's historical drama-- Gunpowder Joe: Joseph Priestley, Pennsylvania and the American Experiment' --gets off to a fast start... In the end, the Priestleys flee, and the rioters torch their residence, which contains the scientist's laboratory and library.... It quickly establishes how well connected Priestley became after settling in Pennsylvania. He soon had friends--and foes--in high places. In one scene, he and President John Adams are having tea when Priestley suggests that Adams appoint Thomas Cooper, another English expatriate who has settled in Northumberland, to a federal post. The president reacts sharply. I would never give such a position to a foreigner', Adams declares, adding that such appointments should be given only to loyal Americans'.... Animated, occasionally humorous and always enlightening, Clarvoe's drama shatters any notion that Priestley, internationally known for discovering oxygen in 1774, spent his last decade living quietly in Northumberland content to pursue new discoveries. It shows how he helped strengthen our First Amendment right to say things about our government that even the president may not like." John L Moore, The Daily Item

Gunpowder Joe

“In the spring of 1955, much of the Southern U S was a simmering kettle of racial segregation, civil rights repression, and worker/workplace abuses—one that was on the verge of boiling over into a full scale struggle against those economic and civil rights injustices. With that time and atmosphere of conflict as a starting point, playwright Anthony Clarvoe has focused in on the rural Grundy County of 1955 Tennessee and the organization known then as the Highlander Folk School for his new play, PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE, currently getting its world premiere at Clarence Brown Theatre’s Carousel Theatre. While the story of Highlander and its goals of educating and agitating for change may be an unfamiliar or misunderstood one among today’s audience, Clarvoe has succeeded with a superbly compelling narrative that reveals and explains. Most importantly, he draws important parallels between the racial and socio-economic struggles of the 1950s and 60s and similar issues that face contemporary American society such as immigration, voter suppression, and LGBTQ rights. The storyline of PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE is constructed around an educational session at the Highlander Folk School in the pre-Montgomery bus boycott days of 1955, involving four invited, outsider ‘students’ along with the group leader, Mrs Clark and a helper, Mr Carawan. [Note: Clark and Carawan are based on the real-life Septima Clark and musician Guy Carawan] The visitors are May, a mountain housewife turned labor organizer; Emma, a Mexican-American suffering from ethnic and class abuse; Ned, a compromised white man from the Atlanta office of the CIO; and John, a northern black man who presents himself initially as the son of a minister. As their session moves into a second day, personal stories begin to flow and character complexities emerge allowing each actor to paint a portrayal that not only reveals their character, but ties in subject matter relevant to an audience in 2019.… While I rarely make such a direct and obvious recommendation, I am suggesting that all theatre-goers place PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE on their must-go list… This is brilliant theatre…”Alan Sherrod, ArtsKnoxville

People Where They Are

"Beautifully written... There is light of understanding cast on the human condition in this play. That light concerns the simple heroism of people who do not abandon their fellows in the dark hours." Marilynne S. Mason, Christian Science Monitor "Set in London as the Black Plague sweeps the city claiming more than 100,000 lives, THE LIVING is not about death. Rather this remarkable, riveting drama is a compelling confirmation of life." Sandra Dillard-Rosen, The Denver Post "Fascinating... THE LIVING is a play both clever and thoughtful.... With a fine wit and a keen irony." Richard Christiansen, Chicago Tribune "Haunting revives the plague time with often chilling vividness... The drama would be interesting even if there were no modern parallel. The play remains intellectually engrossing and, ultimately, gut-wrenchingly affecting." Aileen Jacobson, Newsday "This intelligent and cumulatively affecting drama...discovers the hope and humanity shining inside the black shroud." Steven Winn, San Francisco Chronicle "Aided by Clarvoe's enticing dialogue and grim humor...we see that beneath all the turmoil and death, there exists a simple humanity that saves souls and restores faith." Mary Houlihan-Skilton, Chicago Sun-Times "A rich, dynamic play...laced with oddly beautiful metaphors for tragedy.... Do heed this reminder to keep breathing during the full force of the action. Patricia Corrigan, St Louis Post-Dispatch "As much a drama of ideas as it is a drama of passion and compassion, it unfolds in a series of Shakespeare-like scenes that follow a handful of characters through the darkest months of the plague.... Clarvoe writes with wit and intelligence." Marion Garmel, Indianapolis Star "As a tale of human heroism and cowardice, pitilessness and compassion, medical sleuthing and political expediency, it cannot be beat.... Clarvoe's most potent idea has been to prohibit the characters from touching one another. Not even a piece of paper is handed directly from one person to another; everything is arranged to prevent human contact. So the ending is really miraculous." Judith Green, San Jose Mercury News

The Living

"Elegantly written...it evolves into a moving argument for that eternal gamble with terrible odds: taking a chance on love. The pleasure...is its unexpected depth. The intimacy of the conversation draws the audience in; before LET'S PLAY TWO is over, you may find yourself in tears over Grace's delicate emotional condition and, more significantly, Phil's capacity for acceptance and goodness." Peter Marks, The New York Times "LET'S PLAY TWO hits a home run.... Anthony Clarvoe pulls off a difficult feat and makes it look easy. At a time when romance is often cynically treated onstage as some sort of poisoned folly, he makes us care about two ordinary, likable people trying to connect.... LET'S PLAY TWO is a genuine date play. Clarvoe turns us all into fans and gets us rooting for both sides at once." Steven Winn, San Francisco Chronicle "LET'S PLAY TWO...should please anybody who enjoys a tender, rueful, well-acted romantic comedy.... The play is not really about baseball--it's about a turning point in the romance between two baseball fans. Clarvoe never glorifies, nor condescends to, his average guy and gal characters. He always observes them with clear eyes, but affectionate humor and respect.... LET'S PLAY TWO is highly engaging, and surprisingly, it lingers with a sweet poignancy long after it's over." Matthew Surrence, Oakland Tribune "Clarvoe writes exceptionally clever dialogue. He knows how to map out the psychological journeys of Grace and Phil so that we remain eager to travel along for two acts and two hours. And he's created two characters at once familiar and endearingly oddly matched. The further you travel with Grace and Phil, the more you end up liking--and rooting for--both of them." Robert Hurwitt, San Francisco Examiner "Clarvoe is more interested in the human comedy than the comedy of errors. Baseball anecdotes and metaphors abound, but they're never belabored. The lovers are an appealing pair, fighting against love as hard as they fight for it, and their simultaneous win and loss is sweet to see." Judith Green, San Jose Mercury News

Let's Play Two

City of Light

BELFER, Lauren

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Books by Clarvoe, Anthony