Free for All

Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Every Told

Kenneth Turan, Joseph Papp

$49.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Doubleday & Co Inc.
15 November 2010

Theatre Studies; Individual actors & performers; Biography: arts & entertainment; History of the Americas; 21st century history: from c 2000 -

Free for All is an irresistible behind-the-scenes look at one of America's 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 years-much of it told in Papp's own words-is 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 Hair and A Chorus Line. To bring the story to life, film critic Kenneth Turan interviewed some 160 luminaries-including George C. Scott, Meryl Streep, Mike Nichols, Kevin Kline, James Earl Jones, David Rabe, Jerry Stiller, Tommy Lee Jones, and Wallace Shawn-and masterfully weaves their voices into a dizzyingly rich tale of creativity, conflict, and achievement.

By: Kenneth Turan, Joseph Papp
Imprint: Doubleday & Co Inc.
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 203mm, Width: 132mm, Spine: 43mm
Weight: 621g
ISBN: 9780767931694
ISBN 10: 0767931696
Pages: 640
Publication Date: 15 November 2010
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Kenneth Turan has been a film critic for the Los Angeles Times since 1991 and the director of the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes since 1993. He teaches nonfiction writing and film criticism at the University of Southern California and provides regular reviews for Morning Edition on National Public Radio. Joseph Papp (1921-1991) was an American theatrical producer and director. Papp founded the New York Shakespeare Festival in 1954 with the aim of making Shakespeare's works accessible to the public.

Reviews for Free for All: Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Every Told

A heady stew of gossip and tumult. . . . A rowdy oral history. --The New York Times [An] important, colorful, capacious book . . . rich, rewarding . . . immensely pleasurable. --The New York Times Book Review Eminently readable . . . [with] a highly theatrical momentum. --The New Yorker Free for All is a powerful, in-depth, and deeply moving oral history of a man (Joseph Papp) who created an extraordinary place (the Public Theatre) during an unforgettable era in American theatrical history. It was truly the best of times, and the book returned me with awe to a period when a passionate mentor made all the difference in my life and career. --Martin Sheen Anyone interested in Joe Papp, who played a legendary role in New York theater, or in his remarkable productions at the Public Theater, in Central Park, at Lincoln Center, or on Broadway, must read this long-suppressed, almost lost book. And if you have no interest in any of these things, the personalities that leap from its pages, their vividness and (usually) unstoppable charm, make it a must-read all by themselves! --John Rockwell, former critic for the New York Times The theater book of the season ... a juicy, exciting read. It's history as intimate storytelling, and a must-have for any theater lover. --Charles Isherwood, The New York Times