Theatrical Seekers and True Believers
New books document the processes and productions of 2 major New York companies.
Category Archives: Book Reviews
Norwegian Wood
A hefty new Ibsen biography gives us a deeply difficult man in full.
Chosen by Their Moment: Hecht, Cantor, and Rose
How three American showbiz figures reclaimed their Jewishness in a time of crisis and redefined it in the popular imagination.
The Dramatic, Precarious Life of the 19-Century Actor
2 new books about Sarah Bernhardt, Eleonora Duse, and Harry Watkins shows the life of a 19th-century actor was filled with acclaim and alcoholism in equal measure.
Some Enchanted Music of the Night
A bio sums up Rodgers & Hammerstein’s achievement, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s memoir is surprisingly lively.
The Showman and the Raconteur
New memoirs by British directors Nicholas Hytner and Dominic Dromgoole run the gamut, and the Globe.
Ivo Genius: Director, Adaptor, Auteur
A new book looks at Ivo van Hove’s thoroughgoing process, which is as much about distillation as direction.
Dream Ballet Vs. Steam Heat
Two new dance biographies show what we can (and can’t) learn from the revolutionary choreography of Agnes de Mille and Bob Fosse.
‘Angels’ in the Details
A massive new oral history recreates the drama behind Kushner’s modern epic, but does it do his ideas justice?
Streep and Shepard: 2 Straight Arrows Ascending
Sam Shepard and Meryl Streep both made defining marks on New York stages before wandering afield.
