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Terrence McNally's canon of plays, books for musicals and opera
libretti possesses such a breadth of subject matter and diversity
of dramatic modes that critics have had difficulty assessing his
accomplishment. This book is the first critical study to identify
the four major stages of McNally's development in terms of his
understanding of how theater helps the modern person trapped in a
seemingly profane existence to find a gateway to the transcendent.
Drawing upon such diverse religious thinkers as Martin Buber,
Mircea Eliade, Ilia Delio and Carter Heyward, Frontain analyzes the
evolution of McNally's understanding of grace, not as a gift
bestowed by an all-powerful deity upon a desperate soul, but as the
unwarranted-and, thus, all the more unusual-"act of devotion"
(McNally's phrase) that one person performs for another. By seeking
to foment community, most importantly at the height of the AIDS
pandemic, McNally's theater itself proves to be a channel of grace.
McNally's greatest success is shown to be the creation of a theater
of empathy and compassion in contradistinction to Artaud's "theater
of cruelty" and Albee's Americanization of the theater of the
absurd.
Acclaimed playwright Terrence McNally's works are characterized by
such diversity that critics have sometimes had difficulty
identifying the pattern in his carpet. To redress this problem, In
Muse of Fire, Raymond-Jean Frontain has collected McNally's most
illuminating meditations on the need of the playwright to first
change hearts in order to change minds and thereby foster a more
compassionate community. When read together, these various
meditations demonstrate the profound ways in which McNally himself
functioned as a member of the theater community-as strikingly
original dramatic voice, as generous collaborator, and even as the
author of eloquent memorials. These pieces were originally written
to be delivered on both highly formal occasions (academic
commencement exercises, award ceremonies, memorial services) and as
off-the-cuff comments at highly informal gatherings, like a
playwriting workshop at the New School. They reveal a man who saw
theater not as the vehicle for abstract ideas or the platform for
political statements, but as the exercise of our shared humanity.
"Theatre is collaborative, but life is collaborative," McNally
says. "Art is important to remind us that we're not alone, and this
is a wonderful world and we can make it more wonderful by fully
embracing each other. [. . .] I don't know why it's so hard to
remind ourselves sometimes, but thank God we've had great artists
who don't let us forget. And thank the audiences who support them
because I think that those artists' true mission has been to bring
the barriers down, break them down; not build walls, but tear them
down."
Arriving in New York at the tail end of what has been termed the
"Golden Age" of Broadway and the start of the Off Broadway theater
movement, Terrence McNally (1938-2020) first established himself as
a dramatist of the absurd and a biting social critic. He quickly
recognized, however, that one is more likely to change people's
minds by first changing their hearts, and-in outrageous farces like
The Ritz and It's Only a Play-began using humor more broadly to
challenge social biases. By the mid-1980s, as the emerging AIDS
pandemic called into question America's treatment of persons
isolated by suffering and sickness, he became the theater's great
poet of compassion, dramatizing the urgent need of human connection
and the consequences when such connections do not take place.
Conversations with Terrence McNally collects nineteen interviews
with the celebrated playwright. In these interviews, one hears
McNally reflect on theater as the most collaborative of the arts,
the economic pressures that drive the theater industry, the unique
values of music and dance, and the changes in American theater over
McNally's fifty-plus year career. The winner of four competitive
Tony Awards as the author of the Best Play (Love! Valour!
Compassion! and Master Class) and author of the book for the Best
Musical (Kiss of the Spider Woman and Ragtime), McNally holds the
distinction of being one of the few writers for the American
theater who excelled in straight drama as well as musical comedy.
In addition, his canon extends to opera; his collaboration with
composer Jake Heggie, Dead Man Walking, has proven the most
successful new American opera of the last twenty-five years.
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The Variorum Edition of the Poetry of John Donne, Volume 4.2 - The Songs and Sonets: Part 2: Texts, Commentary, Notes, and Glosses (Hardcover)
John Donne; Edited by Jeffrey S Johnson, Gregory Kneidel, Tracy M. Hayes, Lydia Medici, …
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R2,032
R1,886
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This volume, the ninth in the series of The Variorum Edition of the
Poetry of John Donne, presents newly edited critical texts of 25
love lyrics. Based on an exhaustive study of the manuscripts and
printed editions in which these poems have appeared, Volume 4.2
details the genealogical history of each poem, accompanied by a
thorough prose discussion, as well as a General Textual
Introduction of the Songs and Sonets collectively. The volume also
presents a comprehensive digest of the commentary on these Songs
and Sonets from Donne's time through 1999. Arranged chronologically
within sections, the material for each poem is organized under
various headings that complement the volume's companions, Volume
4.1 and Volume 4.3.
Terrence McNally’s canon of plays, books for musicals and opera
libretti possesses such a breadth of subject matter and diversity
of dramatic modes that critics have had difficulty assessing his
accomplishment. This book is the first critical study to identify
the four major stages of McNally’s development in terms of his
understanding of how theater helps the modern person trapped in a
seemingly profane existence to find a gateway to the transcendent.
Drawing upon such diverse religious thinkers as Martin Buber,
Mircea Eliade, Ilia Delio and Carter Heyward, Frontain analyzes the
evolution of McNally’s understanding of grace, not as a gift
bestowed by an all-powerful deity upon a desperate soul, but as the
unwarranted—and, thus, all the more unusual—“act of
devotion” (McNally’s phrase) that one person performs for
another. By seeking to foment community, most importantly at the
height of the AIDS pandemic, McNally’s theater itself proves to
be a channel of grace. McNally’s greatest success is shown to be
the creation of a theater of empathy and compassion in
contradistinction to Artaud’s “theater of cruelty” and
Albee’s Americanization of the theater of the absurd.
Arriving in New York at the tail end of what has been termed the
"Golden Age" of Broadway and the start of the Off Broadway theater
movement, Terrence McNally (1938-2020) first established himself as
a dramatist of the absurd and a biting social critic. He quickly
recognized, however, that one is more likely to change people's
minds by first changing their hearts, and-in outrageous farces like
The Ritz and It's Only a Play-began using humor more broadly to
challenge social biases. By the mid-1980s, as the emerging AIDS
pandemic called into question America's treatment of persons
isolated by suffering and sickness, he became the theater's great
poet of compassion, dramatizing the urgent need of human connection
and the consequences when such connections do not take place.
Conversations with Terrence McNally collects nineteen interviews
with the celebrated playwright. In these interviews, one hears
McNally reflect on theater as the most collaborative of the arts,
the economic pressures that drive the theater industry, the unique
values of music and dance, and the changes in American theater over
McNally's fifty-plus year career. The winner of four competitive
Tony Awards as the author of the Best Play (Love! Valour!
Compassion! and Master Class) and author of the book for the Best
Musical (Kiss of the Spider Woman and Ragtime), McNally holds the
distinction of being one of the few writers for the American
theater who excelled in straight drama as well as musical comedy.
In addition, his canon extends to opera; his collaboration with
composer Jake Heggie, Dead Man Walking, has proven the most
successful new American opera of the last twenty-five years.
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Boys Like Us (Paperback)
Peter McGehee; Foreword by Raymond-Jean Frontain; Introduction by Fiji Robinson
bundle available
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R415
R348
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Labour of Love (Paperback)
Doug Wilson; Foreword by Raymond-Jean Frontain; Introduction by Jeffrey Canton
bundle available
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R420
R352
Discovery Miles 3 520
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Sweetheart (Paperback)
Peter McGehee; Foreword by Raymond-Jean Frontain; Introduction by Fiji Robinson
bundle available
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R493
R414
Discovery Miles 4 140
Save R79 (16%)
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