Plays and Playwrights occurred to me as a listener as I was tuned into GB Shaw on Sunday and have
taught a lot of GB Shaw Plays and for many years kept a well thumbed complete copy in paperback of the
plays of GB Shaw and I found it useful as my class at the Universisty who were German speaking and
from Austria had brought their own copies so my yellowy copy was concealed in my briefcase under
my teachers' desk at the front of the seminar room. However, one playwright that was also popular
was Harold Pinter and we read it through with enthusiasm and keen attention and at the end of
every session I had a question and answer time to find out whether or not this play meant much
to a youthful group of Austrian students .... IT DID, and IT WORKED for Them and for Me!
Oscar Wilde was a "must" though with the GAY business attached to it it was seen as
controversial in a Catholic context though the taught work was not overtly GAY!
Alan Bennett as a modern playwright I recommend as very entertaining and have gone to
see plays by that playwright in London and enjoyed them enormosuly.
The whole scene has changed and I thought the business of the stage had ended for me
and was delighted to find out that it continued up to 2OO9 with a first production of m
play REFERENCES : at Southampton UK: by Theatre Students and my play was
commissioned by Dr Melek of Istanbul Turkey so the Play lives on and with it
so do the great playwrights that I have taught and now write about!