Curtain Calls: Five One-act Plays

Paul M. Kelly's eighth collection of plays celebrates the economy and style of the venerable one-act play, a literary form not only to be performed but read, discussed, and thought over without the additional price of admission. The theatre has always been considered a mirror of its time. Indeed, many stage productions reflect the changing views of individuals caught up in challenging situations and reacting to those moments with exchanges of lively discourse. Realistic dialogue gives essence and appeal to Kelly's work. Equally engaging is his ability to capture a convincing relationship, to establish a genuine dilemma, and to create a wide range of believable characters. Curtain Calls introduces five plays that bring into sharp focus a colorful assortment of New Yorkers immersed in fractured expectations of their own design, expressing themselves through distinct moods, feelings, and attitudes. These plays offer the spectator/reader glimpses into controversial subjects as well as tantalizing subtexts waiting to be uncovered. Kelly's comic meanings and suggestions unfold during each new encounter with his work.