(University of Oregon, 2009-12) Petersen, Jeffrey J., 1981-
Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Paula Vogel,
playwright and educator, has blazed a trail in American
theatre, opening new avenues for female playwrights. In
2005 Vogel's student Sarah Ruhl burst onto the scene with
her play The Clean House. As one of the most produced
playwrights of 2005, Ruhl has been celebrated as the new
voice of American theatre. There are similarities, as might
be expected between teacher and former student, but some of
the similarities suggest something more: a dynamic shared
between Vogel's and Ruhl's plays which suggests an ongoing
theatrical conversation and may suggest directions for
future American drama.
