The playwrights covered in this study have among them won most of the available awards and experienced considerable success in the theater. They have not, however, found their way so easily into the academic canon. Christopher Bigsby examines, in some detail, the developing careers of some of America's most fascinating and original dramatic talent: John Guare, Tina Howe, Tony Kushner, Emily Mann, Richard Nelson, Marsha Norman, David Rabe, Paula Vogel, Wendy Wasserstein, and Lanford Wilson. In addition to the well-known works, Bigsby discusses some of their latest plays to reach the stage. This lively and accessible book will be of interest to students, scholars and general theatergoers alike.
Christopher Bigsby is Professor of American Studies at the University of East Anglia, in Norwich, England. He is also Director of the Arthur Miller Centre for American Studies.
He has published nearly forty books, including four novels, and has broadcast for the BBC for some thirty years, presenting arts programmes on BBC radio as well as television programmes. He has written plays for the radio and television, working with Malcolm Bradbury.
He is the winner of the McKitterick Award for a first novel and of the Bernard Hewitt Award and Betty Jean Jones Award for his work on American drama
He has run the Arthur Miller Centre International Writers Festival for sixteen years and was Chair of the British Council's Cambridge Seminar for eighteen years.
