Midnight Plays (PDF)

Midnight Plays anthologizes four plays from four different worlds of story-telling: a Victorian tale of vampires (Dracula/Sabbat), a story of Jewish mysticism (The Dybbuk), a scatological retelling of the Oedipus myth (Swellfoot's Tears), and a tale from the Marquis de Sade (Justine). Their common denominator is their Grand Guignol environment that plays into and pays homage to the Grand Guignol spirit of the past century's morality. Each of the four protagonists—Justine, Swellfoot, Dracula, Channan—plays holy fool who whether he shares or is outraged by that morality—it makes little difference—is brutally victimized by it. The plays explore what is left of heroism, possibly meaningless, certainly helpless, but, paradoxically, still uncompromising...Dracula: Sabbat -The play simmers with nakedness and erotic energy. A work of absolute authenticity—with beauty, dignity, gravity and sensuality, rare to the point of near extinction in any part of our contemporary theater ... It is beautiful in its shivery delight and awed fear of tension and release.—Jack Kroll, Newsweek...Justine -Katz has taken one of the most horrific tales of human degradation in Western literature and fashioned it into an extraordinary, beautiful theatrical experience.— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette...The Dybbuk -Brio, exaltation, pure and sinister passion exudes from this La Mama production of The Dybbuk, a production which satisfyingly plunges us way over our heads into the story by using a full range of modern devices and insights.— Village Voice , NY...Boson Books also offers Metamorphoses by Leon Katz. For an author bio and photo, and reviews, visit bosonbooks.com.