"Free for All "is an irresistible behind-the-scenes look at one of America's most beloved and important cultural institutions.
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reviews
Jun 15, 2010
Timothy
rated it: 
The Greatest (Theater) Story Ever Told
Joe [Papp:] has been the entrepreneur par excellence, the voodoo man, the magic man, the medicine man who went and found all the people, who played the drum and brought all the folks in from the wilderness and gave them a fire to gather around.….LINDA HUNT (actress, Aunt Dan and Lemon).
If a man can love a man as a brother, I love Joe. But he has complications on top of complications in him; he has the same dark sides we all have….[a More...
Joe [Papp:] has been the entrepreneur par excellence, the voodoo man, the magic man, the medicine man who went and found all the people, who played the drum and brought all the folks in from the wilderness and gave them a fire to gather around.….LINDA HUNT (actress, Aunt Dan and Lemon).
If a man can love a man as a brother, I love Joe. But he has complications on top of complications in him; he has the same dark sides we all have….[a More...
Oct 31, 2010
Neil
rated it: 
A good book about Joe Papp and the work he did in creating and maintaining the New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater. It's a long book, consisting of oral history interviews with Papp and dozens of other recognizable playwrights, directors, and actors, for the most part grouped by the events surrounding particular productions. I thought the book had the most momentum when it was addressing the origins of the Shakespeare Festival, because the efforts to get that institution in place give t
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Feb 12, 2010
Lois
rated it:
For anyone who loves the theater, this is such a treat. An oral history was the perfect vehicle - all of these actors, directors, playwrights, etc. are so articulate and marvelous storytellers. Joe Papp was larger than life, and his passion for theater that would be available for everyone changed that world. In the 1980s he contracted with Kenneth Turan to write the history of the NY Shakespeare Festival and Public Theater, but cancelled after reading the first draft. Twenty years later Turan co
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Dec 06, 2009
Dyan
rated it: 
A sometimes fascinating read about Joe Papp, founder of the free NY Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater and one-time Theater Director of the Beaumont Theater in Lincoln Center. An amazing person, whose energy and vision created memorable dramatic experiences, he championed new playwrights and theater content that related to the social milieu.
Turan interviewed over 160 people who had worked with Papp, so the book is a somewhat disjointed chronological read of the highlights from Pa More...
Turan interviewed over 160 people who had worked with Papp, so the book is a somewhat disjointed chronological read of the highlights from Pa More...
Sep 22, 2011
Susan
rated it:
Growing up in NYC, going to Shakespeare in the Park - as conceived and produced by Joe Papp - was a highlight of every summer for my dad and me. We saw all the great American actors there and it was free! When Joe Papp also produced the cutting edge plays at the Public Theater, I saw For Colored Girls and the original Chorus Line. Joe Papp was an amazing force of nature, and he was New York theater. Papp was always looking for ways to make theater more accessible to non-traditional audiences - y
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Nov 15, 2011
Hank
rated it:
I'm not sure if it's the quality of the book or the subject itself, but as the development of Shakespeare in the Park and the Public continue, the individual productions seem smaller, less impacting, and of less anecdotal merit. Talks of backstage intrigue, love affairs, and people striking the kindling of their love for the theater become increasingly remote, leaving way for backstabbing, fiscal reports, and a general smallness - not of the stage, but of the scope - of the theater that remains.
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Jul 26, 2011
Definitely a MUST READ for anybody interested in the NY theater scene's recent history (which of course has influenced it's current state). Joe Papp & the Public... I have no words, this book was a great lesson but also an affirmation of all the things I believe theater can and should be and what I want my place in it to be. In closing, WHY is this not required reading for my BA in Theater?! I firmly believe my education would have been incomplete without it.
Dec 21, 2009
Cameron
rated it:
Read this if you've given up hope that art and politics can matter to each other. Or if you've forgotten that theater can talk about something other than itself. Or if you just want to dish the dirt on the most important plays of the mid 20th century.
Sure, this adds to the mythology of an already much-mythologized man. But hey, myths are what our culture is built on, right?
Sure, this adds to the mythology of an already much-mythologized man. But hey, myths are what our culture is built on, right?
Jan 01, 2011
Alan
rated it:
I loved reading this book - getting the behind the scenes story on all these plays, many of whihc I saw in Central Park, the most wonderful place in the world to watch theater, or at the Public downtown. And I capped off the book by seeing the latest Public Theater production over Xmas vacation in NYC- Al Pacino as Shylock in Merchant of Veneice. Transcendant performance!
Jul 29, 2010
Pamela
rated it:
A wonderful oral history of Joseph Papp and the founding, development, and maturity of the Public Theater in New York City. I find many oral-history books limp and superficial, but Kenneth Turan must have a deep gift for interviewing, and he has assembled his accounts to excellent effect. An exciting and moving story of risk-taking theater in our country.
Dec 18, 2009
Daniel
rated it:
Reading this unique oral history has absolutely changed the way I think about theater and my place in it. Although it gets a bit weak at the end, the first 2/3 of the book are incredibly inspiring. Absolutely a must-read if you are interested in creating art of any kind.
Jan 17, 2010
Dave
rated it:
This is a collection of writings by and about Joseph Papp. A really interesting history of the New York Shakespeare Festival and the Public Theatre. Was prevented from publication by Joseph Papp for 20 years, but it's hard to understand why.
Mar 14, 2011
Cody
rated it:
This is the BEST book about NY theatre I've ever read. I took me less than 48 hours to finish and I literally could not put it down. I always knew that Papp was a huge man in the American theatre but I never knew how powerful he was.
NOTE TO SELF: Read David Rabe's plays...
NOTE TO SELF: Read David Rabe's plays...
May 28, 2010
Jill
rated it:
Kenneth Turan collected interviews from Papp and many others who worked with him at the Public. A very enjoyable read as well as very informative re NYC history. It was great reading about all of the theater people worked with Papp.
Oct 07, 2010
Elizabeth
rated it:
Really terrific. A must read for ANYONE with a true passion or calling. Great from a historical as well as artistic perspective about the burgeoning of the American theater as nurtured, cajoled and driven by Joe Papp.
Feb 16, 2011
Katie
rated it:
If you are even a little bit interested in theatre history, this book is amazing.
May 25, 2011
I've got to read this, since the list of actors is full of my favorites.
Dec 25, 2011
Chas
rated it:
It's always exciting to stumble onto a book at just the right time. I've had this on my shelf for about a year, and finally got around to it, and I'm glad I did. While it drags a bit towards the end, with very detailed summations of some of the work produced by Papp at the Public in the late '70s and '80s, the early days and the Shakespeare Festival's evolution from scrappy D.I.Y. oddity to full-fledged cultural institution is fascinating. The choice to do this as an "oral history" mak
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Aug 27, 2011
Drew
rated it:
An absolute must-read for anyone who wants to create theater. Joe Papp was the greatest impressario to ever live - we won't see his like again. He was lucky to live in the time that he did, because he could create the game instead of just try to play it. It has been corrupted since his heyday and he'd probably hate the State of the Art today... but goddamn times were good. If this book doesn't inspire the artist in you, you shouldn't be making art.
http://wp.me/pGVzJ-gE
http://wp.me/pGVzJ-gE
Feb 25, 2011
Nicole
rated it:
If you want as close to a comprehensive history of not just the Public but also of contemporary theatre, this book is the way to go. Some gems in this book are from the mouth of Papp himself and others are from his contemporaries when speaking of Papp. If you want a clear understanding of contemporary theatre history this is the book that must be not only on your shelf, but read in depth and internalized.
Jan 04, 2010
Sasha
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What an incredible man Joe Papp was. The kind of guy who comes around once in a million years. If you are interested in the theater (like real theater, not campy musicals), you should read this book.
Jun 01, 2010
Janice
rated it:
An eye-opening oral history about Joe Papp and the early years of the Public Theater. I thought I knew the Papp mythology fairly well, but my esteem for the man (warts and all) has grown immeasurably from these accounts of his passion, bull-headedness, and vision. They definitely don't make 'em like that anymore.
Oct 18, 2011
Nick
rated it:
What an interesting man and what a great way to tell his story. The best way I can describe it-- is interviews written down and placed in a way that you really get the chronology and understand his life. Really a great read.
Mar 08, 2010
Jaclyn
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LOVE this book. It was not only incredibly interesting to read, but I also learned such amazing theatre history.
Nov 29, 2011
Lianne
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loved it! such an interesting man, and such a creative thinker. a must read for anyone in the arts
May 10, 2010
Susan
rated it:
This book is a delight! Makes me laugh out loud in the subway and brightens my day.
Feb 07, 2012
Feb 05, 2012
Feb 05, 2012
