Dulcitius, The Rising of the Moon, and Every Afternoon: A Trinity of Short Plays by Women

Together for the first time, a trinity of classic plays by women. DULCITIUS, written in the late 10th century AD is by Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim. Hrotsvitha, a nun, is the first recorded playwright after the Greek and Roman eras. Her works are primarily religious in nature, DULCITIUS being no exception. It tells the story of three women, Irena, Chionia, and Agape who were martyred for their faith at the hands of the Emperor Diocletian. The religious overtones are paired with magic and slapstick comedy to create a truly unique theatrical experience. Lady Augusta Gregory was a prolific supplier of plays for Dublin’s Abbey Theater in the beginning of the 20th century. THE RISING OF THE MOON is a philosophical look at a sergeant and ballad singer waiting on the steps of a river for an escaped convict. Still poignant, this story of the way police officers interact with those they are supposed to help and protect was met with rioting at its premiere. Gertrude Stein’s EVERY AFTERNOON is representative of a number of her plays. Written in her stream-of-consciousness style, without character breaks or stage direction, Stein attempted to separate the dialogue from the visual of the stage to allow unlimited personal interpretations of the work. A lovely and experimental short play, EVERY AFTERNOON intentionally defies description.