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Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful Reading...
Review: These plays read very well, and I have seen them both in their original runs. I was absolutely thrilled when this book came out: I had become a fan of Mickle's writing and anyone who has seen one of his plays can tell you his style begs to be printed and published. His use of language is very immediate and engaging to an audience or a reader. An Apology... is a retelling of the Faustus legend (most often known in the works of Goethe and Marlowe). Faustus, in all versions, is the story of a scholar and scientist who finds he can achieve more and become infinitely wise if he summons the devil to be his servant. In this Faustus he is repentant, and on the day of his death, he is sent to a small group of strangers to say goodbye and apologize for not keeping a better diary detailng his days with the devil. At times it is hilarious (he comes back from a 7-11 several years in our future and presents us with "Budweisers", "In those days to come they call this beer the King"), yet it also hits notes of dramatic brilliance. Faustus must settle with dying and leaving only an apology, as "no God or demon ever apologized to anybody for anything". The Hunchback Variations is written in the form of Mamet's Duck Variations, only here it is a recurring radio-style panel discussion led by The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Ludwig Von Beethoven. The arrive to discuss their failed attempt to re-create the stage direction in Anton Chekov's Cherry Orchard- "suddenly a distant sound is heard, coming as if out of the sky, like the sound of a string snapping, slowly and sadly dying away". The same spanse in time is presented in 11 versions, each revealing more about the collaboration and the friendship once shared between the hunchback and Ludwig. It is very lucky that a local small press has gotten this printed and even more lucky that it is presented here so people anywhere can have access to it. If you love the theater or perform it yourself, this is the kind of new work that will shock you and your friends with it's value. Don't let it remain obscure to the world and your own tastes, it has a home in any collection.
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