Includes bibliographical references.

Where the power lies / Yusuf al-{mllhring}Ani -- Ansar / Fateh Azzam and others -- Baggage / Fateh Azzam -- The alley / Samia Qazmouz Bakri -- Men have heads / Mahmoud Diyab -- The singing of the stars / Ahmed Ibrahim al-Fagih -- The person / Alfred Farag -- Boss Kanduz's apartment building / Tawfiq al-Hakim -- War and Peace / Tawfiq al-Hakim -- Actress J's burial night / Jamal Abu Hamdan -- Pleasure Club 21 / Walid Ikhlasi -- Was dinner good, dear sister? / Riad Ismat -- The traveler / Raymond Jbara -- The return of Hulegu / Sultan Ben Muhammad al-Qasimi -- The coffee bar / {mllhring}Ali Salim -- The mask / Mamdouh {mllhring}Udwan -- Reflections of a garbage collector / Mamdouh {mllhring}Udwan -- The height of wisdom / Sa{mllhring}d al-Din Wahba -- The Glass café / Sa{mllhring}dallah Wannous -- The king's elephant / Sa{mllhring}dallah Wannous.

It's only in fairly recent times that Arab writers have turned their hands to the theater. This collection of nineteen plays is evidence of the remarkable strides made as numerous playwrights have come to grips with this genre's problems and potential. The essence of the collection is its sheer variety. The subject matter ranges from the horrors of a political prison camp to the comic tribulations of furtive lovers trapped in a minefield, from historical fable to the world of official bureaucracy, while dramatic treatments range from the conventional to the highly experimental, some using surreal techniques -- now disturbing, now hilariously amusing. Many of the plays use humor or pungent satire to address distinctively Arab issues and problems, whether these have their source outside or inside the Arab world itself. The collection gives a valuable insight into a fast-changing and increasingly distinctive area of modern Arabic literature. -- From publisher's description.