Samuel Beckett's theatre in America
Subtitle: the legacy of Alan Schneider as Beckett's American director
By: Natka Bianchini
Series: New interpretations of Beckett in the twenty-first century
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Published: 2015
Place of publication: New York, New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 204
ISBN-13: 9781137439857
Subjects: Criticism and interpretation; Stage history; Dramatic works
Description: When Alan Schneider agreed to direct the American premiere of Samuel Beckett's first published play, Waiting for Godot, in 1955, neither man knew that the play would be an unequivocal flop, nor that it would be the beginning of a lifelong friendship. Over the next thirty years, Schneider directed every major play Beckett wrote, including twelve American premieres and five world premieres. All told, the two worked together on more than thirty-five productions between 1956 and 1984. This book is a study of Schneider's collaboration with Beckett, with a focus on his American and world premieres. Assembling together for the first time a wealth of primary source material, Bianchini reconstructs each theatre production from the earliest stages of planning through opening night. These reconstructions are carefully situated within the wider historical context of American theatre in the mid-to-late 20th century, to reveal the story of how Beckett, thanks largely to the pioneering work of Alan Schneider, was introduced to American audiences.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction: "exactly as you envisioned": Alan Schneider and Samuel Beckett; title: The laugh sensation of two continents!; title: Finding a home off-Broadway; title: A series of firsts; title: New York and beyond; title: American zenith; title: Conclusion: assessing Schneider's legacy.