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Theater: The Lively Art
Created for Theater Appreciation courses that cover both history and elements, The Lively Art, 6/e remains a comprehensive introductory theater an introduction to the audience’s experience of theater, an investigation of the elements of theater, and a study of the important developments in the history of theater.
- GenresNonfiction
480 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 1995
7 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
Edwin Wilson
43 books3 followersAuthor, teacher, critic, Edwin Wilson began his career as Assistant to the Producer for the Broadway play Big Fish, Little Fish, directed by John Gielgud, and the film Lord of the Flies, directed by Peter Brook. He produced plays off-Broadway and coproduced the Broadway play Agatha Sue, I Love You, directed by George Abbott. He also produced the film The Nashville Sound.
Educated at Vanderbilt, Edinburgh, and Yale, he received the first Doctor of Fine Arts degree awarded by Yale. From 1972 to 1994 he was the theatre critic for The Wall Street Journal. For thirty years he taught at Hunter College and the CUNY Graduate Center. During the past four decades he has been the preeminent writer of college theatre textbooks in the U.S. His three books (two coauthored with Alvin Goldfarb) have sold over one million copies.
He has served as president of the Theatre Development Fund and the New York Drama Critics Circle, as well as chairman of the Pulitzer Prize Drama Jury. In the early 1990s, he conducted a series of ninety half-hour television interviews with theater artists ranging from George Abbott to Jerry Zaks, which on appeared on CUNY-TV in New York and 200 PBS stations around the country.
The Patron Murders is Wilson's first novel.
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Praise for The Patron Murders:
“A smashing debut! Patron Murders is a diabolically witty mystery that begins as a classic backstage murder before spinning into the ether where New York’s leading patrons of the Arts are most inventively and gruesomely dispatched. The Art World trembles! Thanks to a gentleman actor doubling as detective [Shades of Lord Peter Wimsey], who mourns a mythical past where things like this never happened who also has a knack for using the latest technology, he solves the case most satisfactorily. Wilson’s intimate knowledge of the way New York works pays off with an ending right out of Moliere’s Misanthrope. I believe reviewers in another time would call this “A delicious romp.” I call it ‘A very good read.’” - John Guare, playwright, author of The House of Blue Leaves, Six Degrees of Separation, and Landscape of the Body; member of The Theatre Hall of Fame.
"An actor becomes an amateur sleuth in Ed Wilson’s New York-savvy detective story, an entertaining blend of Law & Order and a bold-faced version of the real world. Only the solution to several murders will reveal which among the characters are genuine art and theatre lovers and which are the fat-cat phonies and Johnny-come-latelies. Kudos to Wilson for his sparkling debut, a thriller with a social conscience and a sense of humor." - Molly Haskell, film critic, author, From Reverence to Rape, Frankly, My Dear: “Gone with the Wind” Revisited, Holding My Own in No Man’s Land, My Brother, My Sister.
“Put on your tux, pour yourself a gin, and turn up the Cole Porter… From start to finish Edwin Wilson has masterfully conjured a riveting detective mystery for the smart set. It is a captivating tale of murder and intrigue that will take you on an unforgettable journey through Manhattan’s finest locales and High Society.” - Adam Van Doren, Artist and Writer; author of An Artist in Venice and Homes of American Presidents: The House Tells the Story.
"A vivid and informed reflection of the actor’s life on stage and off, The Patron Murders is a classic fusion of narrative tension, engaging characters, and a richly textured review of contemporary culture, business, and moral values. A murder-mystery as enlightening as it is entertaining." - Sidney Offit, editor, teacher, author of Memoir of a Bookie’s Son and Friends, Writers, and Other Countrymen; Curator Emeritus of the George Polk Awards.
Educated at Vanderbilt, Edinburgh, and Yale, he received the first Doctor of Fine Arts degree awarded by Yale. From 1972 to 1994 he was the theatre critic for The Wall Street Journal. For thirty years he taught at Hunter College and the CUNY Graduate Center. During the past four decades he has been the preeminent writer of college theatre textbooks in the U.S. His three books (two coauthored with Alvin Goldfarb) have sold over one million copies.
He has served as president of the Theatre Development Fund and the New York Drama Critics Circle, as well as chairman of the Pulitzer Prize Drama Jury. In the early 1990s, he conducted a series of ninety half-hour television interviews with theater artists ranging from George Abbott to Jerry Zaks, which on appeared on CUNY-TV in New York and 200 PBS stations around the country.
The Patron Murders is Wilson's first novel.
---
Praise for The Patron Murders:
“A smashing debut! Patron Murders is a diabolically witty mystery that begins as a classic backstage murder before spinning into the ether where New York’s leading patrons of the Arts are most inventively and gruesomely dispatched. The Art World trembles! Thanks to a gentleman actor doubling as detective [Shades of Lord Peter Wimsey], who mourns a mythical past where things like this never happened who also has a knack for using the latest technology, he solves the case most satisfactorily. Wilson’s intimate knowledge of the way New York works pays off with an ending right out of Moliere’s Misanthrope. I believe reviewers in another time would call this “A delicious romp.” I call it ‘A very good read.’” - John Guare, playwright, author of The House of Blue Leaves, Six Degrees of Separation, and Landscape of the Body; member of The Theatre Hall of Fame.
"An actor becomes an amateur sleuth in Ed Wilson’s New York-savvy detective story, an entertaining blend of Law & Order and a bold-faced version of the real world. Only the solution to several murders will reveal which among the characters are genuine art and theatre lovers and which are the fat-cat phonies and Johnny-come-latelies. Kudos to Wilson for his sparkling debut, a thriller with a social conscience and a sense of humor." - Molly Haskell, film critic, author, From Reverence to Rape, Frankly, My Dear: “Gone with the Wind” Revisited, Holding My Own in No Man’s Land, My Brother, My Sister.
“Put on your tux, pour yourself a gin, and turn up the Cole Porter… From start to finish Edwin Wilson has masterfully conjured a riveting detective mystery for the smart set. It is a captivating tale of murder and intrigue that will take you on an unforgettable journey through Manhattan’s finest locales and High Society.” - Adam Van Doren, Artist and Writer; author of An Artist in Venice and Homes of American Presidents: The House Tells the Story.
"A vivid and informed reflection of the actor’s life on stage and off, The Patron Murders is a classic fusion of narrative tension, engaging characters, and a richly textured review of contemporary culture, business, and moral values. A murder-mystery as enlightening as it is entertaining." - Sidney Offit, editor, teacher, author of Memoir of a Bookie’s Son and Friends, Writers, and Other Countrymen; Curator Emeritus of the George Polk Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 11, 2010
This book isn't bad for a very basic introduction to theatre class skewed toward theatre appreciation. It's much heavier on the "who does what" of theatre than it is on anything historical.
January 5, 2011
contained a lot of personal opinion from the author that was not backed up with facts, there was a lot of bias. plus sides were the vocab, and short stories.
November 15, 2022
An UG-level textbook for non-theatre major ,covering both the practice and history of the art form, but the first part seems too introductory and the latter part reads like a list of who-did-what-and-when with a focus on production details, which may not mean much on appreciation. The summary note of each chapter, without key points, is not exactly helpful. A performance arts text should have more photos (some here) and video links (...none).
It's not a dry text and it's almost fine as an introduction but if you have studied your Film 101, the practice chapters may be already quite familiar to you and you may want to find an more advanced text.
It's not a dry text and it's almost fine as an introduction but if you have studied your Film 101, the practice chapters may be already quite familiar to you and you may want to find an more advanced text.
December 17, 2017
A great overview of Theatre including modern practices and history.
June 20, 2020
A great overview of the many aspects of theatre, its history and elements.
November 11, 2013
i want to give myself a pat on the back for finally finishing the 190 pages' worth of assigned reading material from this book. thus ends the last unit of my theatre course. i am now absolutely finished reading this book in its entirety.
thank goodness.
thank goodness.
September 16, 2008
Eh. It's alright. I can bet you there's a great deal of better theatre textbooks out there. Even my professor isn't wild about this book.
May 15, 2014
Great pictures! Did seem to drag on at some points in the chapters, but overall I was interested.
September 8, 2014
i havent read this
December 13, 2016
Helped with understanding class info.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews