Short Eyes
A Play
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ISBN10: 0374521476
ISBN13: 9780374521479
Trade Paperback
144 Pages
$16.00
CA$17.00
Winner of the New York Drama Critics Circle Award
This powerful drama of prison life is set in a house of detention where a group of young convicts—predominantly black and Puerto Rican—taunt, fight, insult, and entertain one another in an attempt to preserve their sanity, and to create a semblance of community. When a young white prisoner accused of child-molesting is thrown into the cell block by a guard who says he belongs in Sing Sing because "the men up there know what to do with degenerates like you," the stage is set for an explosive series of events. Among prisoners, as we discover, this child-molester (known as "short eyes") is the lowest of criminals.
Reviews
Praise for Short Eyes
"An authentic, powerful theatrical piece that tells you more about the anti-universe of prison life than any play outside the work of Jean Genet."—Jack Kroll, Newsweek
"Mr. Piñero writes very well indeed. His dialogue sizzles with truth."—Clive Barnes, The New York Times
Reviews from Goodreads
BOOK EXCERPTS
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Short Eyes
ACT ONE
Dayroom in the House of Detention. Upstage right is entrance gate. Upstage left is gate leading to shower room and slop sink. Upstage center is a toilet and drinking fountain. Above is a catwalk. Stage...