Fifth Row Center

A distinguished British theater critic examines the role of a drama critic and comments on the American theater in general and the plays of Broadway and off-Broadway specifically

British theater critic Nightingale spent the 19831984 season in New York, writing a column for the Arts and Leisure section of the Sunday New York Times. In this journal of the experience, he reports on the productions of that season and reflects on the state of the New York theater. His gloomy prognosis is a familiar one: escalating costs and ticket prices (off Broadway as well as on) have resulted in conservatism on the parts of producers and audiences and have encouraged a theater that is narrow in scope and "culturally marginal." Comparing the American stage with the far healthier (and state-subsidized) theater of his own country, Nightingale proposes ways in which a national institutional theater might be established here. Though his prose is sometimes marred by awkward journalistic shorthand, Nightingale's views are worth attending to. February 26
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

London theater critic Nightingale spent the 1983-84 Broadway season as the weekly critic for the New York Times. This readable journal records his impressions of the productions he saw and provides a valuable European perspective on the state of theater in New York. While far from outstanding, the season saw such notable works as The Real Thing, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Sunday in the Park with George, as well as the first performances in the United States by the Living Theatre in two decades. Nightingale's most perceptive and interesting comments, however, deal with the financial woes of American theater, which he believes can only be alleviated by public funding. For large theater collections. Susan Thach Dean, Fine Arts Div., Chicago P.L.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.