NONFICTION

Three Somebodies: Plays About Notorious Dissidents

by Kat Georges
Three Rooms. Mar. 2018. 192p. illus. ISBN 9781941110546. pap. $19.95; ebk. ISBN 9781941110553. THEATER
COPY ISBN
Poet (Our Lady of the Unger; Punk Rock Journal) and playwright Georges ascribes absurd humanity to three notorious personalities, calling them dissidents, which is perhaps a misnomer. SCUM: The Valerie Solanas Story portrays the woman who shot Andy Warhol with a manic humanity she probably doesn't deserve. One might question the choice of Oscar Wilde's prize-fighting nephew Arthur Cravan, a poet who influenced the Dadaists, represented in Art Was Here. But most readers will understand the appeal of Jack the Rapper, a riff on Jack the Ripper, a mystery that persists to this day. This far-out piece features T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound. All three plays are Off Off Broadway, Dada, and absurd, but they are compelling enough to keep people engaged. Some will scratch their heads. The plays were produced in San Francisco at the Marilyn Monroe Memorial Theater, which Georges founded in 1992.
VERDICT For those who enjoy the theater of the absurd. This might be a puzzling read for readers looking for straight narrative, but it could be brilliant in the abstract.
Reviewed by Ellen Bates, Princeton, NJ , Mar 15, 2018
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

NONFICTION

Against the Grain: How Farmers Around the Globe Are Transforming Agriculture To Nourish the World and Heal the Planet
by Thurow, Roger
NONFICTION

Cello: A Journey Through Silence to Sound
by Kennedy, Kate
NONFICTION

Spritz Cocktails: 35 Thirst-Quenching Sodas, Highballs & Sparklers
NONFICTION

The Incorruptibles: A True Story of Kingpins, Crime Busters, and the Birth of the American Underworld
by Slater, Dan
NONFICTION

Searching for Franklin: New Answers to the Great Arctic Mystery
by McGoogan, Ken
NONFICTION

The Endless Refrain: Memory, Nostalgia, and the Threat to New Music
by Rowell, David
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?