Fleischman, Paul. Zap.

Fleischman, Paul.  Zap.  Candlewick Press  2015  79p  $7.99  ISBN 978-0-7636-8013-8  hs   Drama  VG-BN          

Originally published in 2005, this drama has been entertaining high schools from New York to California.  Unlike most playwrights, the author has created an entertaining mix of seven plays into one.  He wanted to create a piece that could switch between plays with a single “Zap sound.”  The seven plays include  “The English Mystery,” which is set in the English countryside during World War I like an Agatha Christie mystery, “The Comedy”, which is a takeoff of an off-Broadway Neil Simon play, “Shakespeare’s Richard III,” “The Russian Play” in the style of Anton Chekhov, “The Performance Arts Monologue,” “The Avant-Garde Play,” which brings to mind Samuel Beckett, and “The Southern Play,” which is modeled on Tennessee Williams. 

High-school students who enjoy drama will like this new creation by a well known author.  The device of compiling seven plays will keep readers and drama enthusiasts entertained and on their toes.  Some material is designed for older students, especially the use and talk of alcoholic beverages. 

The author includes production notes, character lists, author’s notes on each play, and information about Agatha Christie, Neil Simon, William Shakespeare, performance art, Anton Chekhov, Samuel Beckett, and Tennessee Williams. 

For schools that participate in Accelerated Reader, an existing test is available for students to take (AR Quiz # 103629).  This would make a great addition to a high-school collection for both casual reading and performance.

Summary: “Aimed at a generation of short attention spans and a taste for razor-sharp comedy, the rapid-fire Zap is a smart, farcical new play for high-school students that's ready to bring the house down.”  

Drama.                                          --Charleen Forba-Mayer