Fifty Contemporary One-Act Plays

"Fifty Contemporary One-Act Plays" by Frank Shay and Pierre Loving is a collection of theatrical works selected and edited in the early 20th century. This anthology features a variety of one-act plays from both American and foreign authors, showcasing a range of themes, styles, and characters drawn from contemporary theater. The purpose of the collection is to highlight the evolving landscape of the dramatic arts during this period and to provide a platform for emerging writers. The opening of the anthology consists of an introduction by Pierre Loving, who discusses the challenges faced during the selection process for the collection. Loving notes the abundance of good one-act plays being produced, emphasizing the difficulty in narrowing down the choices while trying to avoid any sense of subjective bias. He points out that American plays dominate the selection, reflecting a growing renaissance in the American theater, and expresses a hope that these works will reach a wider audience, while also alluding to several international plays that have been included to introduce English-speaking readers to noteworthy foreign authors. The opening sets the stage for an appreciation of the diversity and richness of contemporary theater encapsulated in the subsequent plays.