The intellectual offspring of Ionesco, Beckett, and Pinter, Walter Wykes is known for his intense roles and dark subject matter. In this play, he takes us on a deliciously depraved tour de force as Murray, a celebrity author in the middle of a very public (and messy) divorce, finds himself unable to write. He has nothing more to say-that is, until he meets Emma, the wife of an obsessed fan. In Emma, Murray recognizes the possibility of a new muse, someone to inspire him, to get the words flowing again. In a dark, half-lit bar, he attempts to seduce her, to draw her, like a fly, into his web, but Emma has an agenda of her own. She enlists Murray's aid in curing her husband's obsession. Still intent on seduction, Murray plays along. His presence in the young couple's home, however, is the catalyst not for any cure, but rather for a violent explosion that will propel the play towards its inevitable conclusion and raise the question ... who is the spider and who is the fly?

The Fly: A Play

Literature & Fiction

Wykes, Walter

Contemporary

Lulu Press, Inc.

Written while Machiavelli was in exile for allegedly plotting against the Medici clan, "The Mandrake" or "Mandragola" details the corruption of Italian society in a series of increasingly comical scenes that culminate in the cuckolding of a powerful Florentine aristocrat. The author depicts human nature just as he has come to know it, and the sinister fruits of his studies have delighted audiences to this day, for we recognize our own failures in Machiavelli's creations--characters too quick to compromise personal ethics in order to accommodate a corrupt and demeaning world, too easily persuaded to lie, cheat, swindle, and deceive, or close their eyes to deception, in order to ensure some small improvement in their miserable lives, always espousing the mantra that "the end justifies the means." "The Mandrake" is a powerful comic treatise on immorality, a diagnosis of cultural disease, and perhaps the finest surviving example of the Italian Renaissance comedy of intrigue.

The Mandrake

Machiavelli,Niccolo

In his final play, Henrik Ibsen tells the story of Rubek, an aging sculptor who has lost all interest in the world around him. In spite of his wealth, his fame, and the attentions of his beautiful, young wife, he can find no joy in his existence. He is stagnating, trapped in a spiritual vacuum, when suddenly he is jolted out of his stupor by an unexpected reunion with Irene, a model who once posed for him and whom he idolized. She is now half-mad and literally believes herself to be a walking corpse, a dead woman who roams the earth. In spite of her delusions, however, and in spite of his marriage, Rubek woos the disturbed woman mercilessly. He believes that, together, he and Irene can make each other whole. He will cure her of her delusions of death, and she will restore in him the joy of life. Irene eventually agrees to allow Rubek a few moments of real happiness. She will spend one final night with him ... but there is a terrible price to be paid.

When We Dead Awaken

Ibsen, Henrik Johan

Black Box Press

This collection of 10-minute plays will delight readers and audiences alike. From the dark humor of Nick Zagone's "Sixty Years, to Life" to the zany absurdism of Walter Wykes' "Family 2.0" to the disturbing imagery of Laura Elizabeth Miller's "Fugue," each of these short plays expresses the unique vision of an emerging contemporary dramatist. Together, they make an exciting and diverse evening of theatre. Other plays in this anthology include "While the Auto Waits" by O. Henry, "Lures" by Jeanette D. Farr, "The Next Mrs. Jacob Anderson" by Ann Wuehler, "The Chocolate Affair" by Stephanie Alison Walker, "No Such Thing" by Douglas Hill, "Heart of Hearing" by Joseph Zeccola, and "Phone Arts" by LB Hamilton.

Ten 10-Minute Plays: Volume II

Zagone, Nick

Farr, Jeanette D.

Dramas & Plays

The intellectual offspring of Ionesco, Beckett, and Pinter, Walter Wykes is proof that the Theatre of the Absurd lives on. In his plays, he creates a series of modern myths, tapping into something in the strata of the subconscious, through ritualism and rich, poetic language. The worlds he creates are brand new, and hilarious, yet each contains an ancient horror we all know and cannot escape and have never been able to hang one definitive word on. "The Worker" explores the life of a young woman who fashions a fake child to help her cope with the loneliness she endures each day while her husband is away at work. "Family 2.0" tells the story of a man who invades a stranger's home and attempts to convince the family he finds there to accept him as their new husband/father. "The Spotted Man" follows the trials of a man cursed with a strange disease that may signal the end of the human race. Also included are "Cherry Bizarre" and "The Tragical Tale of Melissa McHiney McNormous McWhale."

One Act Plays from the Edge

This collection of 10-minute plays will delight readers and audiences alike. From the futuristic musings of Michael Rudd's "Clothes For Their Souls" to the poetic mysticism of Nick Zagone's "Portland Blood Slam" to the film noirish farce of Jeff Goode's "Murder by Midnight," each of these short plays expresses the unique vision of a contemporary dramatist. Together, they make an exciting and diverse evening of theatre. Other plays in this anthology include "The Unwanted" by Walter Wykes, "The Goon" by Pete Malicki, "Watch Your Head" by Lynda Rodriguez, "Dog Park or Sexual Perversity in Magnuson" by Dennis Schebetta, "The Care and Feeding of Baby Birds" by Ann Wuehler, "The History of Why the Chicken Crossed the Road" by Jennye James, and "The Brown Shoes" by Julie Jensen.

Ten 10-Minute Plays: Volume III

Goode, Jeff

According to one of Ibsen´s contemporaries, When We Dead Awaken was written "with such labour and such passionate agitation, so spasmodically and so feverishly, that those around him were almost alarmed ... He seemed to hear the beating of dark pinions over his head." If the great dramatist did indeed have a premonition of his impending death, this play, subtitled "a dramatic epilogue," may be regarded as a sort of last confession, Ibsen's final communication to the world at large.A harbinger of the symbolist movement in Europe, When We Dead Awaken is an unforgiving account of the last days of a world-renowned artist, not unlike Henrik Ibsen himself. Rubek, an aging sculptor, has lost all interest in the world around him. In spite of his wealth, his fame, and the attentions of his beautiful, young wife, he can find no joy in his existence. He has lost interest even in his work, sculpting nothing but occasional portrait busts for wealthy aristocrats whom he despises. He is stagnating, like the murky, shallow waters he travels with his wife, trapped in a spiritual vacuum, when suddenly he is jolted out of his stupor by an unexpected reunion with Irene, a model who once posed for him and whom he idolized. She is now half-mad-or appears to be so-and literally believes herself to be a walking corpse, a dead woman who roams the earth, who has returned from "the great dead waste." In spite of her delusions, however, and in spite of his marriage, Rubek attempts to rekindle the relationship. Irene is less than receptive. She has come to despise Rubek in the years since they last met. "You did me a great injustice," she says bitterly. "A passionate young woman . full of life and . natural desires . I stood before you in complete and utter nakedness . sacrificed myself for your art . and you . you-!" Rubek protests that he never did her any wrong, but Irene continues, years of pent-up anger boiling to the surface, "You did wrong to my innermost, most inborn nature! I served you with all the pulsing blood of my youth! Fell down at your feet and served you! Exposed myself to you unreservedly! My body! My heart! And not once - not once did you touch me! Not once did you give any part of yourself to me!" But Rubek is accustomed to getting what he wants and, believing that Irene will fill the black void that is consuming him, he woos her mercilessly. After leaving his young wife to fend for herself, he confesses to Irene that "When you left ... when you disappeared ... I cannot express to you ... I was filled with such regret. I became painfully aware of all that I had left unsaid ... all the moments I had allowed to pass ... without ... without grasping them ... without ... I had come to think of you as something sacred, you see ... something holy ... a gift from God ... a creature of innocence not to be touched save in adoring thoughts. A superstition took hold of me that if I touched you ... if I desired you with my senses ... my soul would be desecrated, and I would not be able to finish my work. I was a fool! An idealistic young fool! I should have taken you in my arms right then and there - on the floor of my studio, I should have taken you! With the clay still on my fingers! It would only have added to the beauty of the child - to the depth and complexity of her meaning - of her mystery." Rubek begs for the chance to correct what he sees as his greatest mistake. He believes that, together, he and Irene can make each other whole. He will cure her of her delusions of death, and she will restore in him the joy of life. Irene eventually agrees to allow Rubek a few moments of real happiness. She will spend one final night with him . but there is a terrible price to be paid.When We Dead Awaken contains many flashes of Ibsen's brilliance - yet it is generally considered the product of a failing mind. This is not

Xlibris, Corp.

This collection of 10-minute plays will delight readers and audiences alike. From the social drama of Jeanette D. Farr's "Gray Matter" to the Pinteresque tension of Walter Wykes' "The Salmon Tribunal" to the zany swashbuckling fun of Jeff Goode's "Jolly Jack Junior," each of these short plays expresses the unique vision of an emerging contemporary dramatist. Together, they make an exciting and diverse evening of theatre.

Ten 10-Minute Plays, Vol. 1

Hill,Douglas

Vovos, Greg

Homokay, Julianne

Rochlin, Brian E.

Kaiser, Eric

Hamilton, LB

In this collection of plays, Walter Wykes creates a series of modern myths, tapping into something in the strata of the subconscious, through ritualism and rich, poetic language. The worlds he creates are brand new and hilarious, yet each contains an ancient horror we all know and cannot escape and have never been able to hang one definitive word on. "The Profession" follows the experiences of a naïve young man exposed to the inner workings of a secret society of assassins. In "Fading Joy" a young woman finds herself caught up in the intoxicating world of a smooth-talking salesman. When he flees to escape a mysterious group known only as "The Tall Men," she finds it impossible to go back to her old way of life. Finally, "The Father Clock" tells the apocalyptic tale of two actors and a stage manager abandoned by their aging director. As the auditorium begins to fill and the lights dim, they desperately attempt to pull the show together even as a strange illness drifts through the theatre.

Three Plays of the Absurd

lulu.com

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Wykes, Walter. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Wykes, Walter

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Wykes, Walter. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Fly: A Play

The Mandrake

When We Dead Awaken

Ten 10-Minute Plays: Volume II

One Act Plays from the Edge

Ten 10-Minute Plays: Volume III

When We Dead Awaken

Ten 10-Minute Plays, Vol. 1

Three Plays of the Absurd