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Indecent

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( 1,564 ratings, 218 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Indecent by Paula Vogel uncovers the turbulent history of Sholem Asch's 1907 play God of Vengeance, which sparked scandal due to its portrayal of a lesbian relationship. Vogel's powerful drama traces the play's journey from its initial Yiddish and German performances through its European tour to its controversial Broadway production in 1923, culminating in the arrest of its entire cast and crew. This work explores themes of censorship, prejudice, and the resilience of art amidst political and social conflict.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This play appeals to readers interested in theatre history, Jewish culture, LGBTQ+ themes, and social justice issues. It suits those who appreciate compelling narratives that intertwine art, politics, and human passion.

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Based on real events, a provocative new drama from a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright about one of Broadway's greatest controversies.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Indecent is described as "Revelatory... as intimate and immediate as a whispered secret." Paula Vogel's play thrums with music, desire, and fear, and is shrewd about the ways in which America isn't free, as well as how art does and doesn't transcend the perilous winds of history. - New Yorker

"Superbly realized... Indecent, the powerful play by Paula Vogel, sheds an eye-opening light on a little-known time when theatrical history, Jewish culture, and the frank depiction of homosexuality intersected, with explosive results." - New York Times

"Gorgeous. Illuminating and heartbreaking. Rich in sympathy and humour, Indecent has the scope of an epic but the intimacy of a chamber piece... it celebrates and illustrates the power of theatre." - Time Out New York

"A moving and fascinating play... a singular achievement... The historical perspective is vast and knowing... has there ever been anything quite like Indecent, a play that touchesβ€”I mean deeply touchesβ€”so much rich emotion about history and the theatre, anti-Semitism, homophobia, censorship, world wars, red-baiting, and oh, yes, joyful human passion?... an extraordinary play." - Newsday

"Indecent is more than a play about forbidden love: it's about theatre as a life force." - New York Post

When Sholem Asch wrote God of Vengeance in 1907, he didn't imagine the height of controversy the play would eventually reach. Performing at first in Yiddish and German, the play's subject matter wasn't deemed contentious until it was produced in English, when the American audiences were scandalised by the onstage depiction of an amorous affair between two women. Paula Vogel's newest work traces the trajectory of the show's success through its tour in Europe to its abrupt and explosive demise on Broadway in 1923β€”including the arrest of the entire production's cast and crew.

Paula Vogel is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of How I Learned to Drive. Her other plays include Don Juan Comes Home from Iraq, A Civil War Christmas, The Long Christmas Ride Home, and The Baltimore Waltz, among others. She has also had a distinguished career as a teacher and mentor to younger playwrights, first at Brown University and then at the Yale School of Drama.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781559365475

Publisher: Theatre Communications Group Inc.,U.S.

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 25 January 2018

Country: United States

Imprint: Theatre Communications Group Inc.,U.S.

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 135.0mm

Height: 215.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 96

About the Author

Paula Vogel's play How I Learned to Drive received the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Lortel Prize, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and New York Drama Critics Awards for Best Play, as well as earning Vogel her second Obie. Other plays include The Baltimore Waltz, Desdemona, And Baby Makes Seven, The Long Christmas Ride Home, A Civil War Christmas, and Don Juan Comes Home from Iraq. She has also had a distinguished career as a teacher and mentor to younger playwrights, first at Brown University and currently at the Yale School of Drama.

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