Nine Plays of the Modern Theater: Includes: Waiting for Godot; The Visit; Tango; The Caucasian Chalk Circle; The Balcony; Rhinoceros; et al

by Harold Clurman (Editor), Samuel Beckett, Friedrich Dürrenmatt

This comprehensive volume contains nine of the most important, most indispensable plays of the modern theatre. What Harold Clurman has done in this seminal collection is to create for us a portrait of the progress and turmoil of the twentieth century. Ranging from the eerie realism of Pinter's sinister "Birthday Party," to the absurd literalism of Ionesco's conformist city in "Rhinoceros," to the baroque fantasy world of Genet's brothel in "The Balcony," to the tragic hilarity of Stoppard's "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," these nine plays, each entirely distinct, together form an incisive, compelling, and sometimes heartbreaking mosaic of our time.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Fiction, Theatre

912 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 1981

About the author

Harold Edgar Clurman was an American theatre director and drama critic, "one of the most influential in the United States". He was most notable as one of the three founders of New York City's Group Theatre.

Reviews

[Ayne Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I were to choose my top ten favorite books, this would definitely be on the list. It is a seminal collection of works by Brecht, Beckett, Durrenmatt, Genet, Pinter, Ionesco, Stoppard, Mamet, and Mrozek, illustrating the depth and breadth of post-World War II theatre. Fascinating reading.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only plays I have read out of this collection are "Waiting for Godot","The Caucasian Chalk Circle", "The Birthday Party", and "Rhinoceros". I have already reviewed "Waiting for Godot", "The Caucasian Chalk Circle", and "The Birthday Party" separately. I was trying to wait until I finished "Rhinoceros" before I reviewed it, but it's just so boring. Just as the action picks up, a long-winded disagreement that is of no real consequence comes up. The plot line sounds interesting, but the play just does not live up to expectations.

[Susan L.]

I scored The Birthday Party AND The Balcony for dirt cheap! 50 cents! Looking forward to reading the other seven plays.