cover photo by Bill Wisser
“I love
this man’s writing, though he must be quite flummoxed these days. His works,
some of which I participated in readings (but sorrowfully not in performances),
have done a marvelous job capturing the dark side of the American psyche. No
matter how dark, that side always had an essential essence of sweetness to
remind us of the America that wasup until 9-11. That sweetness is gone, if it
ever existed. Unfortunately Jack will have to pick at many more scabs to keep
pace with the new American dark side.”
Ed Asner
This collection contains three full-length plays by Jack Gilhooley: MUMMERS, DANCIN’ TO THE CALLIOPE, and SHOOTERS.
MUMMERS:
“Mr
Gilhooley is ingenious in joining the reality of his engaging characters with
the warring strands of American tradition that they represent…haunting and
effective… the writing is most distinguished.
New York Times
“A very
American play has found a very American situation in Jack Gilhooley’s MUMMERS…
This will be a long-lived, comedy-drama.
Washington Post
“…wise,
witty and touching”
Variety.
DANCIN' TO CALLIOPE:
“This
unusual story takes a straight look at twisted lives, and makes you laugh at
things you'd never expect. If you never thought murder and suicide could be
funny, then you haven't seen DANCIN' TO
CALLIOPE."
Southern Theater
“The bizarre work is (also) enormously entertaining... Gilhooley has a keen ear for the rhythms of language and delightfully macabre sense of irony. His characters are eccentric, but they never cross the line into caricature, largely, one suspects because he truly likes and understands these people.”
The Oxford Eagle
SHOOTERS:
“Sometimes the old jokes are the best ones; and the adage is certainly true of
Jack Gilhooley's SHOOTERS. He takes the simple premise of the absurdly unlikely
(actually he takes several such premises), and shoves them together to make a
wonderfully funny and black melange….
The denouement is as funny as it's blatantly sexist, and the whole thing has
an insane logic to it that almost makes you question any and all moral standard.
Emer O'Kelly, Sunday Independent
“…it is
highly successful: pitched somewhere between the louche action of The
Sopranos and Tarantino, the fast-paced existential wisecracking of GLENGARRY
GLEN ROSS and Woody Allen's cerebral slapstick goofery.”
Nadine McBay, Metro (Ireland)
“The
frothiest of amusing nonsense, spiced up with witty dialogue that continually
evokes laughter.”
Gerry Colgan, Irish Times
PLAYS BY JACK GILHOOLEY
I S B N 0-88145-275-0, $16.95