Eastern Promise : Seven Plays from Central and Eastern Europe

New plays by women dramatists showing a range and vitality of voices from countries emerging from the soviet gloom. Also the first time Gabriela Preissova's Czech classic 'Jenufa, her stepdaughter' was published in English.

A collection of the best plays from central and eastern europe. BELGRADE TRILOGY by BILJANA SRBLJANOVIC (Yugoslavia) Set in Sydney, Los Angeles and Prague on New Year''s Eve, the everyday life of young exiles from the Balkans. Winner of the Slobodan Selenic Prize ~THE TENDER MERCIES by SLADJANA VUJOVIC (Montenegro) A three-hander about torture, power and language. Edinburgh fringe first winner. ~ NASCENDO by ALINA NELEGA (Romania) Set in a Maternity ward on the eve of the revolution, patients and staff reflect the divided nature of Romanian society. ~ THE CHOSEN ONES by ELENA POPOVA (Belorussia) Winner of the first European play competition ''A poignant portrayal of postcommunist society.'' ~ THE UMBILICAL CORD by KRYSTYNA KOFTA (Poland) An intense family relationship, where ritual has replaced real life. ''...a generation suffering moral defeat.'' ~ TULIP DOCTOR by VERA FILO (Hungary) Set against the background of war, life becomes a cartoon, where anything can happen and will. ~ JENUFA (HER STEPDAUGHTER) by GABRIELA PREISSOVA (Czech) The tragic tale of a secret birth and infanticide. The play was the basis for Janacek''s opera ''Jenufa'' and was translated into English for the first time for this collection.