John Lahr and Tony Kushner On Tennessee Williams
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- Upon publication of John Lahr’s new biography of Tennessee Williams, the celebrated drama critic sits for a conversation with the playwright Tony Kushner.
“This is a masterpiece about a genius,” wrote Helen Mirren. “Only John Lahr, with his perceptions about the theater, about writers, about poetry and about people could have written this book.”
Recorded September 29, 2014 at 92nd Street Y.
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I remember being at UCLA in the 60's. William Inge, a friend of Williams, came to the theater department and had meetings with playwrights. I had the opportunity to sit with Inge and talk about some of his work..primarily Picnic which had been made into a movie. He didn't like Bill Holden in the part because Inge felt he was too old. But..about Williams. Evidentally he and Tennessee had a rivalry going. At that time Williams was at a low point and jealous of the success of Inge with Picnic, Bus Stop, etc. Inge told me that Williams would complain endlessly about his lack of success at that time and the critics. Inge said he was amazed and saddened because he felt Williams was a theater magician who transformed American theater. Even Arthur Miller said as much..without Williams Glass Menagerie there would have been no Death of a Salesman. Williams gave Miller freedom to write memory sequences. Don't know if any of this is in the book
I don't agree with everything here about Tennessee that is characterized by Kushner and Lahr but it's well worth the listen!
Scholarly, and incredibly insightful
love that Dick Cavett asks a question at the end.
Love him
Thank God, that John Lahr is not a "stuffed shirt", little ego. If his writing is as great as he speaks. Not too many critics, art folks like that. I look at everything in art at the deep mythological level (the same as the two levels as dreams are) and I believe that he does. It's not Freudian nor of Adler. He's at the level of the Heart Chakra. He names the fault, with a balm of compassion. He has flourished, in spite of the fact of his famous Father. He was not a son, "too close to the sun". I can't wait to read the book.
Lahr's book is indeed remarkable.
Seems to be. I ordered it from an UK antiquarian after I saw this.
best book of the year
John Lahr gesticulates with both hands up so much that I began to see Lion's paws...
He looks so much like his father, the late Bert Lahr.
loved the book!
I wish the interviewer would let the author speak more.
I love John Lahr's book The Autograph Hound definately an early book on stalking...
Why does Kushner remind me of Barton Fink from the Coen Brothers movie of the same name?
If IIIIII, was the King, of the Forrresssttt!
Luhr's lucidity despite rather than prompted by the interviewer who is himself the author of Angels in America
Far better book on Tenn is James Grissom's, "Follies of the God."
I agree, but it's "Follies of God".
James Grissom knew Tennessee Williams so that helped…Lol
Poppycock! Grissom's book takes us in endless circles (that are somehow identical).
Kushner is too much with all that gabling and arm waving.
You're right. I know him personally and he is a total ass.
What was the name of his very last play?
Last play put on before his death, I think, was " Clothes for a summer hotel", but I don't know if it was the last play he wrote.
Its title is: 'The One Exception".
On on
31:36 using obscure words like compismentis doesn't make u sound intelligent, it makes u sound far away, nobody can relate to the word you used. Use words that most people understand. If you know how to employ words well to connect fully with your audience...you sound smart
Tennessee did use himself maybe too much, very method of the time
V
But hasn't the same thing been done with, for instance, Sylvia Plath? Even Andy Warhol, who claimed to divulge NOTHING through his work? AND isn't it rather simplistic to construct a work/life biography, unless you do it for sociological reasons, and NOT for the reason of litcrit? Frankly, I'd rather hear Gore Vidal talk about Tennessee Williams than read a book by someone who never knew him but tells me the same things....
You obviously have not read the book...read it then have an opinion.