The plays collected in this volume give artistic expression to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. In so doing, they also illuminate many social, political, and environmental issues
central to American life. Besides telling the kinds of stories that the news media could not, these plays explore the deeply rooted problems plaguing New Orleans. The factual basis of these
plays serves a documentary purpose, but, as drama, they also depict the flood's consequences for individuals - unimaginable loss, powerlessness, displacement. The plays collected here - Rising
Water by John Biguenet; The Breach by Catherine Filloux, Tarell Alvin McCraney, and Joe Sutton; Because They Have No Words by Tim Maddock and Lotti Louise Pharrissis; Trash Bag Tourist by
Samuel Brett Williams; and Katrina: The K Word by Lisa Brenner and Suzanne Trauth - show how theatre can both enhance our understanding of disastrous events and facilitate a sense of community
between audiences and those who experienced them.
