Art in a Democracy: Selected Plays of Roadside Theater, Vol 1 & Vol 2

This two-volume anthology celebrates Roadside Theaters first 45 years and includes nine award-winning original play scripts, ten essays, and a critical recounting of the theaters history. It explores the social, economic, and political circumstances of the Appalachian coalfields and Roadsides intercultural and issue-specific theater work, raising questions about common principles and barriers to achieving democracy across disciplines.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 480 pages
Publication date: 03 April 2023
Publisher: New Village Press

This two-volume anthology chronicles the first 45 years of Roadside Theaters and features nine award-winning original play scripts, ten essays by authors from various disciplines and generations, and a critical account of the theaters history from 1975 to 2020. The plays in Volume 1 present a people's history of the Appalachian coalfields, spanning from the European invasion to the American War in Vietnam. Volume 2 showcases Roadsides intercultural and issue-specific theater work, including long-term collaborations with African American Junebug Productions in New Orleans and the Puerto Rican Pregones Theater in the South Bronx, as well as with residents on both sides of the walls of recently built prisons. Roadside has dedicated 45 years to exploring what art in a democracy might entail. The anthology raises profound questions such as: What are the common principles and common barriers to achieving democracy across disciplines, and how can these disciplines unite in a common democratic cause?

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781613322024