Plays of Our Own is the first anthology of its kind to contain an eclectic range of works by deaf and hard of hearing writers. These writers have made important and positive contributions to world theater or to the theatrical arts for the deaf. Corkonians are not known to lack words, and there is much to appreciate and enjoy in this selection of works by contemporary writers, published by the Cork City Library. It is the first in a planned series of anthologies that show the richness of Cork's literary talent, from established to emerging.
Her subjects range from those that have nothing to do with deafness to those with strong issues related to deafness, such as a dreamy and stubborn girl who survives a world dominated by men in Depression-era Ireland; a famous Spanish artist who loses her hearing while creating her most controversial art; a deaf African-American woman suffering from AIDS in her family; and a deaf street vendor ridiculed and rejected by those of her own kind for selling ABC orthographic cards. Finally, directors, producers, deaf and hearing students, teachers and researchers can choose a book of works for the deaf to consider about production, deaf culture or multicultural analysis, or simply for the pleasure of reading. Bruce Hlibok, from New York City, was a playwright, director and the first deaf actor to play a deaf character on Broadway performing in the hit 1978 musical, Runaways. He is the author of The World of White Water — Poems, Listening Through the Bone — Collected Poems, The Deaf Heart: a Novel, Vignettes of the Deaf Character and other plays, Broken Spokes, Visual-Gestural Communication: A Workbook on Nonverbal Expression and Reception, and Broken Spokes.
