More Portmanteau Plays

** "More Portmanteau Plays" by Stuart Walker is a compilation of plays that exemplifies early 20th-century American theater. Walker creatively shows universal feelings such as affection, being alone, and what it means to be human, often focusing on characters going through intense emotional times. The collection introduces an imaginative play where the audience follows Memory into a place of dreams gone by. One story, "The Lady of the Weeping Willow Tree," tells of Obaa-San, a woman linked deeply to a weeping willow, which stands for her desire for love as well as her being cut off from others. As the story unfolds, characters come and go, like O-Sode-San and O-Katsu-San, along with the scary Gaki, who takes energy from people's worries. The story then emphasizes a mother's love and giving up things for others, highlighting the mix of happiness and sadness that comes with longing and showing how love and loss are related. In the end, the opening piece beautifully combines hope, memories, and fate to create a full picture of life. **