Conjoined triplets on a blind date. A lesson in human reproduction by a manic-prudish teacher. A heart-stopping game of cards. An instrument that tunes in to the music of our bodies' organs.

Collected Plays brings together, in a much-anticipated series, the dramatic works of Onassis prize-winning playwright and author Manjula Padmanabhan.

Laughter and Blood, the second volume, presents within its covers Padmanabhan's short performance pieces. From The Sextet and Ladies' Night to Hidden Fires and Blind Date, these wildly inventive, subversive and often chilling plays introduce readers to the intrigues of inverted power structures, tantalizingly suggestive interactions and powerful voices from the fringe.

With new introductions to the works that affirm the relevance of the themes of the plays, this collection showcases the playwright's mastery of her art and reconfirms her standing among the leading dramatists of our time.