The Joyce Carol Oates Collection

Eight highly diverse works from one of America’s most prolific and versatile authors, Joyce Carol Oates.

American Appetites
The façade of an affluent suburban couple crumbles under the weight of tragedy and scandal in this exclusive dramatization of Oates’ best-selling novel. Performed by: Lisa Akey, Keith Carradine, Alastair Duncan, Paul Eiding, Anna Gunn, Jean Louisa Kelly, Elizabeth Ward Land, Dan Lauria, Frank Muller, B.J. Ward, Liza Weil, and Tegan West. Directed by Gordon Hunt.

Black (one-act play)
In this evening of cocktails and dinner, a couple anxiously awaits the arrival of an ex-husband. As the wine glasses are drained, the evening becomes dark and intense, revealing the true colors of the characters in this eerie love triangle. Performed by: Stephanie Dunnam, Rif Hutton, and Joe Spano. Directed by Peggy Shannon.

Black Water: An American Opera
A tragic and beautiful opera based on the Chappaquiddick scandal. Performed by: David Lee Brewer, Reid Bruton, Stephanie Buckley, Karen Burlingame, Kimberly Graham, Linda Kerns, Erin Langston, Patrick Mason, John Savarese, and Rob Shacklett. Directed by Gordon Hunt.

Gulf War (one-act play)
An affluent young couple entertains an older couple for an evening of cocktails and politics during the Gulf War. As the evening continues, the conversation take a bizarre and absurd tone. Performed by: Edward Asner, Stephanie Dunnam, Nan Martin, and Joe Spano. Directed by Peggy Shannon.

The Key (one-act play)
A hilariously perverse encounter between Melissa, a vacationing suburban housewife, recently separated from her husband, and Edwin, a prosperous businessman. Performed by: Hector Elizondo, Don Reed, and JoBeth Williams. Directed by Gordon Hunt.

The Perfectionist
Oates turns her satiric eye to Tobias Harte, a man obsessed with perfection in everything from ethics to egg salad. Rollicking comedy ensues as Harte struggles with his highly imperfect family and friends. Performed by: Barbara Bosson, Annabeth Gish, Harold Gould, Valerie Landsburg, David Schwimmer, and David Selby. Directed by Robert Robinson.

The Truth Teller
Oates’ hilarious take-off on a classic Southern play begins when liberated Hedda arrives home to visit the family estate, ruled by the family’s tyrannical patriarch, “Tiny” Culligan. Performed by: Charles Durning, Arthur Hanket, Gary Kroeger, Marsha Mason, Priscilla Pointer, William Schallert, and JoBeth Williams. Directed by Robert Robinson.

Tone Clusters (one-act play)
A chilling tragicomedy that takes the form of a surreal interview between a middle-aged, middle-class American couple and the media. Performed by: Edward Asner, Hector Elizondo, and Joyce Van Patten. Directed by Gordon House.

Libretto by Joyce Carol Oates, with music by John Duffy.