Polish Joke

Book excerpt: A collection of four works from the American playwright known as “wizardly . . . magical and funny . . . a master of language” (The New York Times). This collection brings together four full-length plays from the same dazzling pen that produced the one-act comic masterpieces of All in the Timing. Polish Joke is about a young Polish-American’s trip through ethnic stereotypes. Nine-year-old Midwesterner Jan Bogdan Sadlowski, nicknamed Jasiu, is told by his uncle that Poles are thought to be “backward, stupid, inept, and gloomy.” The only way out is for Jasiu “to impersonate someone not Polish.” In Don Juan in Chicago, a Renaissance innocent makes a deal with the devil, only to become a reluctant Latin lover. Ancient History is a comedy-drama about the holy war that breaks out when two people from two very different cultures fall in love. The Red Address paints a searing portrait of a man with a secret who is forced by tragedy into self-revelation. Praise for David Ives “A pitcher with a great many tricks up his sleeve. He throws like an all-star . . . mixing comedic moods and styles with a dizzying assortment of changeups.” —The New York Times Polish Joke “Ives skillfully climbs the slippery slope of political incorrectness without a single mean-spirited stumble.” —CurtainUp Don Juan in Chicago “Ives invents an irresistible premise and has fun making good on its promise.” —Los Angeles Times Ancient History “A riveting theatrical experience.” —Show Business The Red Address “Mix Glengarry Glen Ross with Glen or Glenda . . . A tough-talking drama that mixes business sharks, blackmail, cross-dressing and murder.” —Variety