Ideal for high school and college students, these three books of plays address controversial, contemporary issues that are sure to get students talking (and writing!) Zetta Elliott’s plays have been staged in NYC, Chicago, and at the historic Karamu House Theater in Cleveland. See the Rosetta Press page for ordering information.
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girl/power: While in the custody of Child Protective Services, two underage girls compare their relationships with the men accused of exploiting them.
Brotherhood: Upon his release from prison, Von returns to his foster mother’s home hoping to build a new life with the remnants of his family. But with the house on the brink of foreclosure, Von must confront the forces of change that have transformed the world he left behind.
Deluged: A young woman conducting research on lynching in Louisiana finds herself swept up in a hurricane and dropped onto a plantation off the Mississippi River.
Men of All Work: Four black male celebrities meet in “the green room” and share the trials and triumphs they have encountered trying to “make it” in the entertainment industry.
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Stash: Charity, a young woman accused of killing and castrating her abusive father, has been institutionalized. Her older sister, Constance, also a victim of abuse, visits the asylum to convince Charity to disclose the location of their father’s missing genitals.
Quality: Two white women do laundry while discussing the challenges of living in a neighborhood that is gradually being gentrified.
Innocents: Three black women gather behind a courthouse in the South to reflect on their loss of innocence.
Self/Preservation: A white couple, desperate to save their home from eminent domain, falsely claims their cellar was once part of the Underground Railroad. When their claim is denied, the couple grudgingly prepares to move until they make a startling discovery in their cellar.
Her Vow: After miraculously recovering from a coma, Lila attacks life with a vigor that frightens and alienates her devoted husband, Jerome. When Lila learns her recovery was due to an experimental procedure, she becomes even more empowered, ultimately deciding to raise her unborn baby by herself.
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Connor’s Boy: Connor, a successful artist and transracial adoptee, commits suicide after being accused of abusing his beloved son. Connor’s death forces the people who loved him to confront each other, the past, and the guilt that fuels their fierce struggle over his child.
Mother Load: A black woman filmmaker in her mid-thirties, Liv, decides to attend her estranged mother’s sixtieth birthday party. Her mother, Cleo, is a prolific, celebrated playwright. Liv arrives determined to triumphantly disclose her pregnancy, but instead she must confront the fact that Cleo is dying of uterine cancer.
Beast: DeMarcus Gaines, a famous basketball player, has been implicated in a shooting that may end his career; these charges are just the latest in a string of accusations leveled against the young star, including rape. His family, from whom he has been estranged, decides to rally around DeMarcus, but only after he gives a full and honest account of his actions.
