Washington Square Plays

"WASHINGTON SQUARE PLAYS" by Lewis Beach is a compilation of short plays created for an amateur theater group, delving into varied aspects of human life and societal issues. The collection begins with details about the importance of one-act plays in early American theater, highlighting the theater group's core mission to explore new and different theatrical performances. The first play is about a tense meeting between a Northern soldier and a Southern woman during the Civil War; it explores fear and moral questions when the soldier runs from enemy forces and the woman struggles with protecting her home. Tensions escalate as outside forces pressure them both, revealing deep emotional and social issues.