Reimagining American Theatre - Softcover

Brustein, Robert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0929587995 ISBN 13: 9780929587998

Publisher: Ivan R. Dee, 1992

Synopsis

No one today writes more telling criticism of the American theatre than Robert Brustein. In this ground-breaking work he argues that the American stage is enjoying an unacknowledged renaissance. Despite obstacles that now confront various art forms in this country, Mr. Brustein finds that the theatre has been quietly reinventing the nature of its art. He celebrates this renewal in these wide-ranging, witty, and discerning essays and reviews, examining individual playwrights, directors, and other artists; defending the quality of American theatre in the face of the British invasion; and analyzing the uneasy relationship between politics and art in contemporary America. Mr. Brustein's great critical sense, and his ability to draw from an expanse of sources, make Reimagining American Theatre an entertaining adventure. "A refreshing and seminal work. Brustein provides the most insightful guidance through contemporary production in theatre and, what is so rare today, he is also a critic who defends high standards in performance."―Jan Kott. "Robert Brustein's directness clears the air. His intelligence shines."―Pauline Kael.

About this title

About the Author:

Robert Brustein, theatre critic for the New Republic and is the author of Cultural Calisthenics, Dumbocracy in America, The Theatre of Revolt, and The Siege of the Arts. He is also founder and artistic director of the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard University.

From Publishers Weekly:

In this collection of reviews and essays, most reprinted from the New Republic , the founder and artistic director of the American Repertory Theatre considers the state of American theater in the 1980s. Despite what he considers the artistic sterility of Broadway and the economic problems afflicting all theaters, he believes that "we are in a period of theatrical renewal and change," finding American playwrights, directors and actors to be the artistic equals of their highly praised English colleagues. Brustein's passion for the theater informs every sentence: his reviews make absorbing reading whether or not one has seen the productions; the foreword and three introductory essays are compelling calls to honor and sustain creative effort in the theater. The author makes no secret of his prejudices. He prefers serious drama to musical comedy, regional theaters to Broadway, Joseph Papp's risk-taking New York Shakespeare Festival to the cautious Lincoln Center management. It's not necessary to share Brustein's opinions to enjoy his essays, which are provocative, challenging and alive with the conviction that "a country without a theater is a country without a soul."
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Ivan R. Dee
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0929587995
• ISBN 13: 9780929587998
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 321