Philosophy professor launches book at Playwrights Cabaret
Dr. Malcolm Murray, a professor of philosophy at UPEI, will launch his new book, The Philosopher, a collection of one-act plays at the Playwrights Cabaret on Saturday April 27 at 7:00 pm in the Faculty Lounge of the SDU Main Building at the University of Prince Edward Island. Hosted by the PEI wing of PARC (Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre), the cabaret celebrates Island playwrights with readings of their plays.
The Cabaret is hosted by PEI PARC members Orysia Dawydiak and Yvette Doucette, with readings by Rob MacDonald, Catherine O'Brien, Nadine Salami, among others. Dr. Murray and friends will read selections from The Philosopher, which will be available for sale. Doors open at 6:30 pm, with a cash bar and nibbles. Admission is by donation.
Comedic, satirical, and at times solemn, The Philosopher showcases the range of human complexity from nonsense to wisdom. Murray’s characters range from a philosopher in chains brought up from the basement to entertain guests, to a psychologist who assists a traumatized patient to become more self-aware, only to result in greater angst. Provocative, perceptive, and rife with questions about the motives and morality of our everyday conduct, The Philosopher ultimately deals with the search for meaning and our need to believe. Murray writes, “Believe what though? Politics. Religion. Sports. It’s obvious that content doesn’t matter. It’s just belief itself. What they fear most is not believing. No one can stand that.”
Apart from being a playwright, Dr. Malcolm Murray is also a fiction writer and philosopher. His produced plays include “Art of Posing” (2014), “The Abettor” (2013), “The Philosopher” (2012), and “Chop Wood, Carry Water” (2008). He is the author of five philosophy books including Morals and Consent (2017). Malcolm lives with his wife, a cat, a dog, and recently, though less agreeably, a raccoon. He teaches philosophy at the University of Prince Edward Island.
Please join Island Studies Press and PEI PARC in celebrating the work of local playwrights. For more information about the book or the launch, please contact Bren at ispstaff@upei.ca or call (902) 566-0386.
