"Seven Plays by Charles Deemer. In this volume of plays, Deemer shows impressive range and scope; the plays deal with everything from contemporary out-of-work mill workers to Old West gold-diggers to modern urban alcoholics to the life of Moliere. The fact that the diverse characters in all these plays seem totally organic to their own millieu is a significant achievement in itself. Deemer also shows significant range in his structure. He has a gift for dense plotting and is also adept at simple character-based work. Christmas at the Juniper Tavern is probably most impressive structurally, as he merges sophisticated plotting while maintaining the feel of a loose, naturalistic slice of life.

In several plays, he also combines direct address with naturalistic scenes. I'm not sure I ever found a unifying theme or concern among these plays, but that is not really a criticism. Deemer's thematic interests are as far-reaching as his structural approaches, which again makes this volume a pleasure to read; you're not treading the same ground over and over. If pressed, however, I suppose I could say something like: Deemer's plays are often concerned with knowing and accepting one's self."