Product Description

is an irresistible behind-the-scenes look at one of Americas most beloved and important cultural institutions.

Under the inspired leadership of founder Joseph Papp, the Public Theater and the New York Shakespeare Festival brought revolutionary performances to the public for decades. This compulsively readable history of those yearsmuch of it told in Papps own wordsis fascinating, ranging from a dramatic early showdown with Robert Moses over keeping Shakespeare in the Park free to the launching of such landmark productions as and To bring the story to life, film critic Kenneth Turan interviewed some 160 luminariesincluding George C. Scott, Meryl Streep, Mike Nichols, Kevin Kline, James Earl Jones, David Rabe, Jerry Stiller, Tommy Lee Jones, and Wallace Shawnand masterfully weaves their voices into a dizzyingly rich tale of creativity, conflict, and achievement.