Customer Reviews

Acts of Courage: Vaclav Havel's Life in the Theater

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This is exactly the kind of book that Havel (as playwright) has long merited in the English-speaking world. True, most theatre academics will be disappointed by Rocamora's choice not to theorize Havel's plays too much. (Although she teaches at NYU, there is no trace of "performance studies" in her approach.) On the contrary, what we have here is a study in an older key. It is a book of appreciation that patiently contextualizes Havel's work within three frameworks: the aesthetic issues surrounding modern drama, Czech political history and Havel's biographical journey. The research here is excellent, and her writing is a pleasure. Havelphiles in general will want to read this book. But theatre artists with an itch to work on Havel should consider this study to be obligatory reading.