<p>A dazzling collection and already a standard reference for those interested in contemporary drama, <EM>Plays in One Act</EM> is a unique compilation of plays and monologues that showcases a stunning and diverse array of work from some of the most important voices in theater.</p> <p>Forty-three modern works are collected here: from plays by important contemporary artists such as David Mamet, Wendy Wasserstein, Sam Shepard, and John Guare, to gems by masters like Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams, and newer talents like Carol S. Lashof and Perry Souchuk. Leading British playwrights -- Tom Stoppard, David Hare, and John Osborne -- are also featured, along with the international voices of Václav Hacel and Kobo Abe, and works by such established wtiters as Eudora welty, Joyce Carol Oates, Richard Ford, and Garrison Keilor, who are writing outside their traditional genres.</p>