Entrances - Hardcover

Schneider became famous in the late 1950s and early '60s as the director who introduced the plays of Samuel Beckett and Edward Albee to the U.S. In this autobiography (completed shortly before he was fatally struck by a motorcycle in 1984), he tells of his early struggles, conventional Broadway successes and eventual discovery of the kinds of plays he responded to most deeplyplays that were unknown territory at the time and that sometimes baffled even the actors who performed in them. Schneider delineates the specifics (often agonizing) of production: casting problems, producers' betrayals, stars who refuse direction or resent the laughs gotten by other cast members. Students of Beckett will appreciate the author's portrayal of the shy, compassionate and surprisingly accommodating playwright. The book follows Schneider's career only to 1966; a second volume is to be published later. Photos. First serial to the New York Times Magazine, Baltimore Sun, Washingtonian, American Theatre and Performance Arts magazines. January
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The tragic death of Schneider in a 1984 London traffic accident deprived the American theater of a man celebrated not only for his innovative directing but also for his tireless efforts to develop regional theater. Schneider completed this first volume of his autobiography, covering the years 1917-66, just before his death. In contrast to the leaden prose of many theatrical memoirs, this is consistently readable and insightful, whether in a harrowing account of Schneider's childhood during the Russian Revolution or in lively descriptions of his work with playwrights Harold Pinter, Samuel Beckett, and Edward Albee. An essential purchase for all theater collections and highly recommended for general collections as well. Susan Thach Dean, Fine Arts Div., Chicago P.L.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.