Joy Ride
Show People and Their Shows
Published on 14. October 2016
Book
Paperback/Softback
592 pages
978-0-393-35323-5 (ISBN)
Description
Since 1992 John Lahr has written for The New Yorker, where for twenty-one years he was the senior drama critic, the longest stint in that post in the magazine's history. Joy Ride is a collection of his profiles and reviews that throws open the stage door, taking us behind the scenes both on and off Broadway to introduce such creators of contemporary drama as August Wilson, Arthur Miller, Stephen Sondheim, Tony Kushner, Wallace Shawn, and Mike Nichols. The result is a delightful, literate, and essential crash course in contemporary theater.
Reviews / Votes
"Chatty, learned and wittily opinionated, Lahr's essays bring us not only his passion for theater, but also his zest for the artistic and creative life." -- San Francisco Chronicle "Of lasting value....Lahr patiently mines the essence of his subjects-playwrights, directors-with the affection of a fan, the insight of a confidant and the authorial flair of an experienced critic...a delight to read." -- The Economist "John Lahr writes-beautifully-about the theatre and those who make it with an unrivalled blend of enthusiasm, perception, and analytical precision. This book is justly titled-his joy is irresistible." -- Nicholas Hytner "An important collection." -- Steven Suskin - Huffington Post "Engaging and loquacious company." -- The Guardian "Impressive, entertaining and insightful...so worth reading or worth reading a second time around." -- Michelle Jones - Dallas Morning News "Lahr...must be one of the world's foremost experts on "show people"....[he has] an ability to look past these authors' mythologies without demeaning their achievements." -- Jonathan Russell Clark - Literary Hub "100 years from now this is where people will look to see what it was like back then. Bravo!" -- John GuareMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Illustrations
2 illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 208 mm
Width: 137 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-393-35323-5 (9780393353235)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
09/2015
W. W. Norton & Company
€17.49
Available for download
Person
National Book Award finalist John Lahr is the author of Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh, among other books. He was the senior drama critic of The New Yorker for over two decades. He has twice won the George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism and is the first critic ever to win a Tony Award (coauthor, Elaine Stritch at Liberty).