Publisher's Synopsis
Two sharp, satirical one-act plays from a major leading figure in late 20th century Black theatre. In this double-volume of two one-act comedies, Douglas Turner Ward blends biting satire, farce, and absurdism while turning a sharp eye on the social, moral, and racial biases that permeate American society. In Day of Absence, all of the Black residents of an unnamed Southern town suddenly disappear, leaving the white residents to fend for themselves. As babies cry without their caretakers and factory production grinds to a halt, the town quickly descends into chaos when the white townspeople find themselves utterly incapable of maintaining a functioning society. Happy Ending follows two sisters, Ellie and Vi, who work as a maid and laundress for the wealthy Harrison family. When Mr. Harrison discovers his wife's infidelity, the sisters are faced with the grim prospect of the dissolution of the household—which Ellie and Vi rely on to maintain their lives more than the Harrisons realize.
