Three Verse Plays: A New Romantic Use of an Old Romantic Format

THE PROGRESSION: Carlos Cortez finds himself in love with Althea who is a fellow high school student. As if the turmoil of dealing with a first love were not enough, he and Althea must also deal with Althea's parents who harbor a prejudice against him being with their daughter. An upcoming high school dance sets the stage for a series of events that challenges Carlos to the core. The Progression is a study in the tale of the phoenix that rises from the ashes of his own flames although here we see mostly the descent. There are many tender and comic scenes in The Progression that recall Romeo And Juliet despite the modern setting. WEB OF ILLUSION: Katie, a recently divorced woman, is playing the field. She meets a man that seems to be the man of her dreams. Katie soon discovers that what the man of her dreams offers is a challenge that tests one's ability to tell what is and what isn't. She discovers that what is and isn't, is and isn't clear. Web of Illusion is a comedy of mistaken identity. Katie's plight of seeing what isn't there, while failing to see what is, reminds us all about how confusing, and distressing, seeking love can be even if we believe we have some experience to help guide us in the matter. ONE WAY OR ANOTHER: Hector has become aware that his life is an endless repetition of one and the same self-defeating theme. He decides that he will break the vicious cycle or be broken himself, but one way or another, the self-defeating theme has to be defeated. His life cannot go on the way it has up to that point. As Hector comes face to face with his fate he discovers things about himself that are completely new. A change of perception, for Hector, becomes a change of attitude that also brings with it a very curious addition.