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Set in a seedy Oklahoma City motel room, the play centers on the meeting between Agnes, a divorced waitress with a fondness for cocaine and isolation, and Peter, a soft-spoken Gulf War drifter introduced to her by her lesbian friend, R.C. Agnes stays at a hotel in hopes of avoiding her physically abusive ex-husband, Jerry, who was just released from prison. At first, she lets Peter sleep platonically on her floor, but not long after she promotes him to the bed. Matters become more complicated as Jerry eagerly returns to the woman he loves to beat her up, expecting to resume their relationship. On top of that, there s a hidden bug infestation problem that has both Agnes and Peter dealing with scathing welts and festering sores which has Peter believing this is the result of experiments conducted on him during his stay at an army hospital. Their fears soon escalate to paranoia, conspiracy theories and twisted psychological motives.

This play tells the story of the man who sells his soul to the devil in return for 24 years of power and knowledge - a legend that began in Germany in the 1500s. The story has inspired countless writers, dramatists and composers ever since, but the first major stage version of the story in England is this one by Shakespeare's contemporary Christopher Marlowe (1564-93). Written sometime between 1588 and 1592, but first published in 1604, the play was extremely controversial at the time, as it explores the paths human beings can take when they allow the devil into their lives.

Martin, a world-famous architect, leads an ostensibly ideal life. But a conversation with an old friend on his fiftieth birthday sets in motions events that will destroy his family and leave his life in tatters. The Goat is a hugely enjoyable parable that plumbs the deepest questions of social constraints on the individual expression of love.

It is Christmas of 1183, and Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine are, for once, together in the drafty castle at Chinon. For all their regal status, they are much like any long-estranged but inseparably married couple: Henry flaunts his new mistress, Eleanor plots against him with their sons. They will do anything they can to hurt each other. And they love each other to distraction.

Harold Pinter has long been acknowledged as one of the most influential playwrights in contemporary theatre; his arresting and original works have left a lasting impression on the development of the stage and screen while delighting audiences around the world. This, the first of four volumes, contains his first five plays, including The Birthday Party(1958), his first full-length drama; as well as two short stories - "The Black and White" and "The Examination" - both written before Pinter turned to the theatre. Pinter's exacting and complex use of language and the features that mark his "comedies of menace" are clearly realized in these plays and stories. His speech "Writing for the Theatre" introduces the volume and establishes context for those early years.

John Patrick Shanley is the author of numerous plays, including Doubt: A Parable, winner of 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play; Danny and the Deep Blue Sea; Four Dogs and a Bone and Psychopathia Sexualis. His work for TV and film is extensive.