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Theatre Kids: A True Tale of Off-Off Broadway
Friendship. Grief. Jazz hands.
In 2004, in a small, windowless theater in then-desolate Williamsburg, Brooklyn, an eccentric family of broke art-school survivors staged an experimental, four-hour adaptation of William Faulkner’s novel As I Lay Dying inside an enormous wooden coffin that could barely fit the cast, much less an audience.
The production’s cast and crew—including its sweetly monomaniacal director—poured their hearts and paychecks into a messy spectacle doomed to fail by any conventional measure. It ran for only eight performances. The reviews were tepid. Fewer than one hundred people saw it. But to emotionally messy hack magazine editor John DeVore, cast at the last minute in a bit part, it was a safe space to hide out and attempt sobering up following a devastating loss.
An unforgettable ode to the ephemeral, chaotic magic of the theatre and the weirdos who bring it to life, Theatre Kids is DeVore’s buoyant, irreverent, and ultimately moving account of outsize ambition and dashed hopes in post-9/11, pre-iPhone New York City. Sharply observed and bursting with hilarious razzle-dazzle, it will resonate with anyone who has ever, perhaps against their better judgment, tried to bring something beautiful into the world without regard for riches or fame.
In 2004, in a small, windowless theater in then-desolate Williamsburg, Brooklyn, an eccentric family of broke art-school survivors staged an experimental, four-hour adaptation of William Faulkner’s novel As I Lay Dying inside an enormous wooden coffin that could barely fit the cast, much less an audience.
The production’s cast and crew—including its sweetly monomaniacal director—poured their hearts and paychecks into a messy spectacle doomed to fail by any conventional measure. It ran for only eight performances. The reviews were tepid. Fewer than one hundred people saw it. But to emotionally messy hack magazine editor John DeVore, cast at the last minute in a bit part, it was a safe space to hide out and attempt sobering up following a devastating loss.
An unforgettable ode to the ephemeral, chaotic magic of the theatre and the weirdos who bring it to life, Theatre Kids is DeVore’s buoyant, irreverent, and ultimately moving account of outsize ambition and dashed hopes in post-9/11, pre-iPhone New York City. Sharply observed and bursting with hilarious razzle-dazzle, it will resonate with anyone who has ever, perhaps against their better judgment, tried to bring something beautiful into the world without regard for riches or fame.
217 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 18, 2024
10 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
June 12, 2024
I received an advance digital copy of this novel from the publisher, Brilliance Audio, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I requested this book on NetGalley while still on a readerly high from Judi Dench’s Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent. I thoroughly enjoyed the glimpse Dench provided into life behind the curtain, and I was hoping for more of the same, from a different perspective. I thought at first that I was getting that, but this memoir devolved into a maudlin, embittered recounting of the author’s failings; it was, in my opinion, almost dripping with self-loathing. John DeVore is an essayist. Theatre Kids is his debut memoir, his first book-length work. He has a clever way with words, but DeVore is no Dench, and his theatre experience left me cold and disenchanted by the end. However, the beginning was enjoyable enough to somewhat save what came after.
If you were a theatre kid, I have a feeling that this would be a massive hit of nostalgia. At least, the first quarter or so would. From there, it just gets more and more depressing. The epilogue felt like a halfhearted attempt to breathe a little bit of light and heart into the narrative, but it fell flat. Honestly, this just turned into such a downer that the only reason I didn’t put it down was because I had it on audio, meaning that I could listen while driving or cooking or walking my dog. If had had been reading this with my eyes instead of my ears, I would have never finished it.
I found the entire memoir incredibly meandering, and a bit pretentious in its insistence that it’s not pretentious. It’s equal parts self-indulgent and self-effacing. The tone grows more and more maudlin, and revels in it. Regarding how DeVore chose to end his narrative, the lack of any kind of focus or resolution made the entire work feel almost pointless in retrospect. But then there would be a line or two that shined so brightly, that had me listening to the same minute of the audiobook four or five times so that I could digest it fully. I saw so much potential, and loved those brief instances where it broke through the emotional murkiness of the rest of the memoir.
Even though I don’t have a lot of positive things to say about Theatre Kids, I do appreciate how self-aware DeVore is as he’s looking back on a certain period of his life. I found him to be wholly unlikeable, but he seems to agree, and voices his wonder that anyone continued to love and reach out to him when he was doing everything in his power to push those same people away. I became invested in spite of myself, which was one of the reasons I found the ending so frustrating. I hope DeVore is kinder to himself than he was twenty years ago, and that his relationships are less one-sided.
I requested this book on NetGalley while still on a readerly high from Judi Dench’s Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent. I thoroughly enjoyed the glimpse Dench provided into life behind the curtain, and I was hoping for more of the same, from a different perspective. I thought at first that I was getting that, but this memoir devolved into a maudlin, embittered recounting of the author’s failings; it was, in my opinion, almost dripping with self-loathing. John DeVore is an essayist. Theatre Kids is his debut memoir, his first book-length work. He has a clever way with words, but DeVore is no Dench, and his theatre experience left me cold and disenchanted by the end. However, the beginning was enjoyable enough to somewhat save what came after.
“One of the great mistakes of my life has been confusing integrity with fear.”
If you were a theatre kid, I have a feeling that this would be a massive hit of nostalgia. At least, the first quarter or so would. From there, it just gets more and more depressing. The epilogue felt like a halfhearted attempt to breathe a little bit of light and heart into the narrative, but it fell flat. Honestly, this just turned into such a downer that the only reason I didn’t put it down was because I had it on audio, meaning that I could listen while driving or cooking or walking my dog. If had had been reading this with my eyes instead of my ears, I would have never finished it.
“Theatre and religion are twins, born at the same time. They are rituals that nourish hears and souls and connect humans.”
I found the entire memoir incredibly meandering, and a bit pretentious in its insistence that it’s not pretentious. It’s equal parts self-indulgent and self-effacing. The tone grows more and more maudlin, and revels in it. Regarding how DeVore chose to end his narrative, the lack of any kind of focus or resolution made the entire work feel almost pointless in retrospect. But then there would be a line or two that shined so brightly, that had me listening to the same minute of the audiobook four or five times so that I could digest it fully. I saw so much potential, and loved those brief instances where it broke through the emotional murkiness of the rest of the memoir.
“A legend is the truth wearing lipstick and a wig.”
Even though I don’t have a lot of positive things to say about Theatre Kids, I do appreciate how self-aware DeVore is as he’s looking back on a certain period of his life. I found him to be wholly unlikeable, but he seems to agree, and voices his wonder that anyone continued to love and reach out to him when he was doing everything in his power to push those same people away. I became invested in spite of myself, which was one of the reasons I found the ending so frustrating. I hope DeVore is kinder to himself than he was twenty years ago, and that his relationships are less one-sided.
January 14, 2025
For weirdo theatre kids like I was, this book is like hanging out in the common room after the theatre club meeting is over but no one wants to go back to their dorm. A pleasure.
February 1, 2025
Finally, a book for theatre people who were too weird for Broadway. I don’t know what it says about me, a BA-holding former NYC theatre person who also has a dead dad, but as I write this I am currently while in active labor, about to give birth to my son. I loved this book so much that I finished it and needed to write my thoughts between painful contractions.
I related to this book a lot. I was also a theatre person who drank my way through drama school, and I loved getting the off-off Broadway perspective of the art form. The author perfectly captures the equal parts self-deprecation and total reverence for the art form that being a weird theatre person comes with. It was also really, really funny, and had me laughing out loud frequently (great for the book, not great for the contractions).
Thank you to John DeVore for this story. It was a love letter to theatre in a way that is typically overlooked by a lot of professionals. Keep it alive.
Thank you also to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I related to this book a lot. I was also a theatre person who drank my way through drama school, and I loved getting the off-off Broadway perspective of the art form. The author perfectly captures the equal parts self-deprecation and total reverence for the art form that being a weird theatre person comes with. It was also really, really funny, and had me laughing out loud frequently (great for the book, not great for the contractions).
Thank you to John DeVore for this story. It was a love letter to theatre in a way that is typically overlooked by a lot of professionals. Keep it alive.
Thank you also to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 21, 2024
Writing: B
Narration: B+
Best Aspect: Interesting stories about the author’s life in theatre. Perfect for anyone who was interesting in stage productions at some point in their life.
Worst Aspect: A little over done in parts and long winded.
Recommend: Yes.
March 20, 2024
I was incredibly excited and entertained by this book for the first 50 or so pages but as the story went on I ended up being a little disappointed in the tone. The author talks a lot about his alcoholism and disillusionment with theatre, which I think a lot of theatre kids can relate to but I wish it ended on a bit of a more positive note. If it's trying to be a love letter to theatre and the nerdy little sincere weirdos who love it I think it could have done a better job with that. I thought a lot about this book was fun but DeVore didn't stick the landing for me. That being said, I can think of a lot of people who would love to buy and read this. A lot of it reads like a fun inside joke and I liked that, and John DeVore does a good job in explaining different terms and details to people who may not be as in the know.
July 1, 2024
I finished this over a weekend. It is not a fun, jaunty read. This is not all jazz hands & glitter, it’s not young actors belting out tunes from Les Miz (though it sometimes is, natch). This is raw, self effacing honesty from a person who was not used to providing it. This is the story of a man who constantly lied to himself & everyone else about his grief, his literary chops, & his addiction.
It’s not the John DeVore I’m used to. I frequently read the little vulnerable essays & reviews he posts online, & we sometimes trade light hearted jabs on social media, or encouragement. I am used to Healing John. This is the story of Unraveling John, of Wounded & Wounding John, of Vodka Soaked Avoidant John.
This is a story about deep, aching grief. It is also, as the title would suggest, a story about quite off Broadway theatre and the so-unique-they’re-ubiquitous players in that scene. Everybody who’s ever done anything on a stage knows a Bani, a Peter, a Mikki. We all had our version of Mr. Boyd, though I think John’s was kinder than mine.
It is also a very honest story about feeling mediocre and the selfishness of addiction. The casual way John lied to everyone he talked to is so alien to me. Does everyone do this? He described it so well I have to guess it’s relatable to other people.
I hope someone videotaped *In A Strange Room*. I’d watch that on YouTube.
It’s not the John DeVore I’m used to. I frequently read the little vulnerable essays & reviews he posts online, & we sometimes trade light hearted jabs on social media, or encouragement. I am used to Healing John. This is the story of Unraveling John, of Wounded & Wounding John, of Vodka Soaked Avoidant John.
This is a story about deep, aching grief. It is also, as the title would suggest, a story about quite off Broadway theatre and the so-unique-they’re-ubiquitous players in that scene. Everybody who’s ever done anything on a stage knows a Bani, a Peter, a Mikki. We all had our version of Mr. Boyd, though I think John’s was kinder than mine.
It is also a very honest story about feeling mediocre and the selfishness of addiction. The casual way John lied to everyone he talked to is so alien to me. Does everyone do this? He described it so well I have to guess it’s relatable to other people.
I hope someone videotaped *In A Strange Room*. I’d watch that on YouTube.
June 17, 2025
As a current theatre kid, and someone who lost a parent at a young age, parts of this book spoke to me. But I wanted more of the grief of putting in a show and less of the grief of loosing a parent at a young age.
June 18, 2024
er Theatre student and teacher, I can confirm that the saying is true. I've found that I can usually spot the person in every room who either likes Theatre or participated in it to some degree. Just the other day in a summer orientation a student asked me if I used to do any Theatre because she did, and I proudly proclaimed that we had found "our people".
Netgalley and Brilliance Audio Publishing approved me to check out an advanced listener copy of John Devore's memoir "Theatre Kids: A True Tale of Off-Off Broadway", and I was instantly intrigued by the title. A brief synopsis of the book says:
In 2004, in a small, windowless theater in then-desolate Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a coterie of desperate and dedicated theater artists staged an experimental, four-hour, entirely unauthorized adaptation of William Faulkner’s novel As I Lay Dying. Its centerpiece was an enormous wooden coffin that dominated the space, leaving room for fewer audience members than actors. It ran for only eight performances, fewer than one hundred people saw it, and it changed John DeVore’s life.
Out of these inauspicious circumstances, Theatre Kids weaves a hilarious and unforgettable account of outsize ambition, artistic ingenuity, dashed hopes, and the magic of theatre in fin-de-siècle New York City. DeVore tells the story of how he—recently arrived from Texas, toiling in the salt mines of Maxim magazine, and trying unsuccessfully to quit drugs and alcohol—fell in with the rambunctious and permanently broke outcasts and misfits who comprised the Off-Off Broadway theatre scene. Maintaining only a tenuous hold on his sanity and sobriety, DeVore was cast in In a Strange Room, whose sweetly monomaniacal director—undaunted by his failure to secure rights from the Faulkner estate—spent $10,000 of his own money in pursuit of a messy, ambitious theatrical spectacle that was doomed to commercial and critical failure, but ultimately led to a kind of success: a sweaty, personal, ephemeral masterpiece.
At once a heartfelt love letter to the stage and a bemused portrait of life in the waning days of American empire, Theatre Kids is a buoyant, uproarious, and ultimately moving story that will resonate with anyone who has ever created something beautiful without regard for riches or fame.
As a fellow Texas Theatre Kid, I felt like this was the book for me. The novel is read by Brian Holden who does a great job of expressing the sarcastic, sometimes bitter and biting, yet still hopelessly vulnerable voice of John. The first third of the book focuses on his upbringing and introduction to Theatre, and that was my favorite part of the novel. There were so many nods and details to things that Theatre Kids enjoy and go through like screaming musical songs at a Denny's at midnight, the excitement and drama of the cast party, the first time that you forget your line onstage, goofs and mishaps, and the silly pretention of being a "thespian". The middle section focuses on John attending college and losing his way in the world. He suddenly wasn't a big fish in a small pond, and that is something I have seen many of my students struggle with post-graduation. He stopped trying and fell into partying with drugs and alcohol - only graduating because his professors wanted him to get on with it. He learns that he actually enjoys writing and playwriting in particular, but college is over and he must go off. He ends up working as a writer at Comedy Central, but things are still not well. He's having an affair with a coworker, and then his father passes away. He leaves Comedy Central for Maxim, but he is extremely unhappy to the point of ideation. He reaches out to a former Theatre friend who tells him about his new project - an off-off Broadway nonprofit production of Faulkner (without having the rights to Faulkner...). John takes the opportunity to audition, and this messy art piece that would never get off the ground to the bigger theaters in NYC becomes a renaissance for John. The enduring nature of Theatre brings him back to life - I've always said we make art for art's sake, not just for money.
I read some other reviews of the book as I was listening, and the consensus seemed to have critiques on the point of the book. The synopsis covers the final production, but, again, we don't see that until the last third of the book. I saw one reviewer ask what made John's story so special that it would warrant getting to have a memoir. I thought this was a little harsh, but I think I understand the takeaway. Is this book about the uplifting nature of Theatre and making art? Is this book about a subsect of people called Theatre Kids and the experiences they (we) have? Is this book about an off-off Broadway production of a Faulkner work post-9/11? It is all of these things, and I think that may be throwing people off. Perhaps a little more streamlining with less side quests between John's personal life and explaining what things mean. This book is for us Theatre Kids, and if someone doesn't catch something, let them pick up on it through context.
Overall, I think this was a fun reflection of something I've always loved. The Theatre is my home. I have seen its transformative powers on literally hundreds if not thousands of people across my lifetime, and I'm only 33. If you're a Theatre Kid, or if you love a Theatre kid, check out this audiobook as it is out TODAY, 6/18, where books are sold.
Netgalley and Brilliance Audio Publishing approved me to check out an advanced listener copy of John Devore's memoir "Theatre Kids: A True Tale of Off-Off Broadway", and I was instantly intrigued by the title. A brief synopsis of the book says:
In 2004, in a small, windowless theater in then-desolate Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a coterie of desperate and dedicated theater artists staged an experimental, four-hour, entirely unauthorized adaptation of William Faulkner’s novel As I Lay Dying. Its centerpiece was an enormous wooden coffin that dominated the space, leaving room for fewer audience members than actors. It ran for only eight performances, fewer than one hundred people saw it, and it changed John DeVore’s life.
Out of these inauspicious circumstances, Theatre Kids weaves a hilarious and unforgettable account of outsize ambition, artistic ingenuity, dashed hopes, and the magic of theatre in fin-de-siècle New York City. DeVore tells the story of how he—recently arrived from Texas, toiling in the salt mines of Maxim magazine, and trying unsuccessfully to quit drugs and alcohol—fell in with the rambunctious and permanently broke outcasts and misfits who comprised the Off-Off Broadway theatre scene. Maintaining only a tenuous hold on his sanity and sobriety, DeVore was cast in In a Strange Room, whose sweetly monomaniacal director—undaunted by his failure to secure rights from the Faulkner estate—spent $10,000 of his own money in pursuit of a messy, ambitious theatrical spectacle that was doomed to commercial and critical failure, but ultimately led to a kind of success: a sweaty, personal, ephemeral masterpiece.
At once a heartfelt love letter to the stage and a bemused portrait of life in the waning days of American empire, Theatre Kids is a buoyant, uproarious, and ultimately moving story that will resonate with anyone who has ever created something beautiful without regard for riches or fame.
As a fellow Texas Theatre Kid, I felt like this was the book for me. The novel is read by Brian Holden who does a great job of expressing the sarcastic, sometimes bitter and biting, yet still hopelessly vulnerable voice of John. The first third of the book focuses on his upbringing and introduction to Theatre, and that was my favorite part of the novel. There were so many nods and details to things that Theatre Kids enjoy and go through like screaming musical songs at a Denny's at midnight, the excitement and drama of the cast party, the first time that you forget your line onstage, goofs and mishaps, and the silly pretention of being a "thespian". The middle section focuses on John attending college and losing his way in the world. He suddenly wasn't a big fish in a small pond, and that is something I have seen many of my students struggle with post-graduation. He stopped trying and fell into partying with drugs and alcohol - only graduating because his professors wanted him to get on with it. He learns that he actually enjoys writing and playwriting in particular, but college is over and he must go off. He ends up working as a writer at Comedy Central, but things are still not well. He's having an affair with a coworker, and then his father passes away. He leaves Comedy Central for Maxim, but he is extremely unhappy to the point of ideation. He reaches out to a former Theatre friend who tells him about his new project - an off-off Broadway nonprofit production of Faulkner (without having the rights to Faulkner...). John takes the opportunity to audition, and this messy art piece that would never get off the ground to the bigger theaters in NYC becomes a renaissance for John. The enduring nature of Theatre brings him back to life - I've always said we make art for art's sake, not just for money.
I read some other reviews of the book as I was listening, and the consensus seemed to have critiques on the point of the book. The synopsis covers the final production, but, again, we don't see that until the last third of the book. I saw one reviewer ask what made John's story so special that it would warrant getting to have a memoir. I thought this was a little harsh, but I think I understand the takeaway. Is this book about the uplifting nature of Theatre and making art? Is this book about a subsect of people called Theatre Kids and the experiences they (we) have? Is this book about an off-off Broadway production of a Faulkner work post-9/11? It is all of these things, and I think that may be throwing people off. Perhaps a little more streamlining with less side quests between John's personal life and explaining what things mean. This book is for us Theatre Kids, and if someone doesn't catch something, let them pick up on it through context.
Overall, I think this was a fun reflection of something I've always loved. The Theatre is my home. I have seen its transformative powers on literally hundreds if not thousands of people across my lifetime, and I'm only 33. If you're a Theatre Kid, or if you love a Theatre kid, check out this audiobook as it is out TODAY, 6/18, where books are sold.
November 2, 2025
Format: Kindle
Review More of a 2.5. I have a laundry list of books I’ve been wanting to read but this book caught my eye on Libby and being a theater kid, I had to know what it was all about… so I put all the other books aside and started this. I thought it was a fiction based on, as the description says, the theater scene for early 2000s which… that was me. He was talking about me… but after I realized the book was a semi-autobiographical memoir… i had to trudge through a book that was very mid, as the kids say.
To me, this was just a well connected person from publishing/magazine culture who knew a guy who knew a guy and got his book published. Did he have much to say about the theater scene other than a few personal stories? Not really. Not to mention when I was about 90% finished with the book, I read
And I ask myself… then why the fuck did you write a book called Theatre Kids? He had nothing really to say other than recycle all of the same inside jokes anyone who has done any kind of theater already knows. Some of the acknowledgement was affirming but for the most part, Devore doesn’t commit to any point of view in this book. His audience are people like me, but in a way, he’s lost their trust in shitting on it and then trying to pacify it with glib sayings to the tune of “but the theater will somehow survive with people better than me”
The most interesting part of this book, which I will have to do my own research on, is all of the dead theater companies that have suffocated in the ever increasing pressure of New York City pricing. I moved here in 2011 for grad school (acting school) and have witnessed it first hand. It was nice that Devore could fill in the gaps almost immediately before I arrived.
Review More of a 2.5. I have a laundry list of books I’ve been wanting to read but this book caught my eye on Libby and being a theater kid, I had to know what it was all about… so I put all the other books aside and started this. I thought it was a fiction based on, as the description says, the theater scene for early 2000s which… that was me. He was talking about me… but after I realized the book was a semi-autobiographical memoir… i had to trudge through a book that was very mid, as the kids say.
To me, this was just a well connected person from publishing/magazine culture who knew a guy who knew a guy and got his book published. Did he have much to say about the theater scene other than a few personal stories? Not really. Not to mention when I was about 90% finished with the book, I read
After each show, Michael [the director] would make it a point to offer me sincere encouragement, but my heart wasn’t there. The theatre required a mindfulness that had begun to frustrate me. Why would anyone want to be in the present?
And I ask myself… then why the fuck did you write a book called Theatre Kids? He had nothing really to say other than recycle all of the same inside jokes anyone who has done any kind of theater already knows. Some of the acknowledgement was affirming but for the most part, Devore doesn’t commit to any point of view in this book. His audience are people like me, but in a way, he’s lost their trust in shitting on it and then trying to pacify it with glib sayings to the tune of “but the theater will somehow survive with people better than me”
The most interesting part of this book, which I will have to do my own research on, is all of the dead theater companies that have suffocated in the ever increasing pressure of New York City pricing. I moved here in 2011 for grad school (acting school) and have witnessed it first hand. It was nice that Devore could fill in the gaps almost immediately before I arrived.
June 3, 2024
Free audio ARC provided by Brilliance audio and Netgalley.
Theatre Kids is an interesting look at the world of theatre, and how if anything it is passion that keeps the theatre thriving. We've all done and seen some independent, small, and unique shows, and this book provides an insight into the passion, drive, and determination of artists who give all of themselves to bring about a performance. The book explored the indie theatre scene of the early 2000s New York in a way that was unique, as there are few other books that explore the very specific niche of off-off-Broadway, or other similar independent theatre circles.
The book is definitely written for an American audience and was slightly cringy for a non-American reader, however it still has resonance for theatre people worldwide. My main question when someone writes a memoir about their lives or experiences is: are your experiences interesting enough to compel me for the 8 hours it takes to read the book? In this case, I think the answer is no. While the book is well-written, the depiction of a struggling artist is quite generic, and there's not much to distinguish the author from the thousands of other NYC hopefuls as the new millenium approaches and begins.
It was also slightly disappointing that the production of As I Lay Dying that seemingly forms the crux of the book didn't feature as heavily as expected, acting as a culmination of the narrative arc rather than the impetus. That being said, the memoir did not fall into the trap of dropping endless, forgettable names - the reader is able to understand and get a good sense of the people who make up the world of Theatre Kids, and have a good grounding to analyse this very interesting social niche.
This book is a good recommendation for people who are really into theatre, particularly American theatre of the early 20th century.
Theatre Kids is an interesting look at the world of theatre, and how if anything it is passion that keeps the theatre thriving. We've all done and seen some independent, small, and unique shows, and this book provides an insight into the passion, drive, and determination of artists who give all of themselves to bring about a performance. The book explored the indie theatre scene of the early 2000s New York in a way that was unique, as there are few other books that explore the very specific niche of off-off-Broadway, or other similar independent theatre circles.
The book is definitely written for an American audience and was slightly cringy for a non-American reader, however it still has resonance for theatre people worldwide. My main question when someone writes a memoir about their lives or experiences is: are your experiences interesting enough to compel me for the 8 hours it takes to read the book? In this case, I think the answer is no. While the book is well-written, the depiction of a struggling artist is quite generic, and there's not much to distinguish the author from the thousands of other NYC hopefuls as the new millenium approaches and begins.
It was also slightly disappointing that the production of As I Lay Dying that seemingly forms the crux of the book didn't feature as heavily as expected, acting as a culmination of the narrative arc rather than the impetus. That being said, the memoir did not fall into the trap of dropping endless, forgettable names - the reader is able to understand and get a good sense of the people who make up the world of Theatre Kids, and have a good grounding to analyse this very interesting social niche.
This book is a good recommendation for people who are really into theatre, particularly American theatre of the early 20th century.
April 27, 2024
Review of “Theatre Kids: A True Tale of Off-Off Broadway”
By: John DeVore
Available June 18/2024
Check it Out on Goodreads!!
Disclaimer: Please note that I received an Audio ARC from NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
⭐⭐⭐☆☆
“Theatre Kids” by John DeVore offers a backstage glimpse into New York City’s Off-Off-Broadway scene with a mix of humour and harsh reality.
DeVore’s narrative delves into the chaotic world of experimental theatre, showcasing the passion and desperation of struggling artists. From unauthorized adaptations to risky productions, the book captures the outsized ambition and artistic ingenuity of those involved.
For someone like myself who was unfamiliar with theatre terminology, the distinction between “On Broadway”, “Off-Broadway” and “Off-Off-Broadway” provides an interesting insight.
While the book provides a vivid portrayal of theatre life, it may not resonate equally with all readers. The focus on the harsh realities and struggles faced may disappoint those expecting a lighthearted, comedic romp throughout the world of theatre.
“Theatre Kids” offers an interesting, if somewhat sobering, look at the trials and triumphs of the Off-Off-Broadway scene, but it may not be the upbeat, feel-good read some theatre enthusiasts expect. This book may not be for you unless you have some knowledge of this world, but if you do, it’s definitely worth the read.
Get it at…
📗 - Hard Copy -📗
Your Local Canadian Book Seller
Indigo
Amazon Canada
📱 - Digital - 📱
Kobo
Kindle
🎧 - Audio - 🎧
Audible
Libro.FM - (Not Available at Time of Review)
By: John DeVore
Available June 18/2024
Check it Out on Goodreads!!
Disclaimer: Please note that I received an Audio ARC from NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
⭐⭐⭐☆☆
“Theatre Kids” by John DeVore offers a backstage glimpse into New York City’s Off-Off-Broadway scene with a mix of humour and harsh reality.
DeVore’s narrative delves into the chaotic world of experimental theatre, showcasing the passion and desperation of struggling artists. From unauthorized adaptations to risky productions, the book captures the outsized ambition and artistic ingenuity of those involved.
For someone like myself who was unfamiliar with theatre terminology, the distinction between “On Broadway”, “Off-Broadway” and “Off-Off-Broadway” provides an interesting insight.
While the book provides a vivid portrayal of theatre life, it may not resonate equally with all readers. The focus on the harsh realities and struggles faced may disappoint those expecting a lighthearted, comedic romp throughout the world of theatre.
“Theatre Kids” offers an interesting, if somewhat sobering, look at the trials and triumphs of the Off-Off-Broadway scene, but it may not be the upbeat, feel-good read some theatre enthusiasts expect. This book may not be for you unless you have some knowledge of this world, but if you do, it’s definitely worth the read.
Get it at…
📗 - Hard Copy -📗
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June 18, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for providing me with this advanced listener copy of Theatre Kids in exchange for an honest review.
As a casual lover of theater (not t-h-e-a-t-r-e), I can say only a true theatre kid could have written this. Growing up knowing many theatre kids, the one thing that’s always stood out to me was the passion and commitment they had for the stage. Everyone from crew to cast, from those who joined for fun to those who actually had Hollywood dreams—drama club was the center of their beings. And that part follows them long after drama club. Hence you see theatre kids like John Devore dedicating the majority of their debut memoir to the theatre despite him mainly being a full time writer and editor for the past 2 decades or so. Can take the man out of the theatre, can’t take the theatre out of the man I guess.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first quarter of the book. The writing was tight with balanced pacing. Things kind of fell apart for me a bit after the first 3 year time skip… and the time skips after that. It was a tremulous time in the author’s life and it shows. Of course, despite this being a memoir, we as readers are not owed all the details of the author’s life. However, as a result, certain events that were then discussed felt sudden and out of place. The influx of people being introduced and reintroduced made it hard to keep up.
But alas, the title is in plural. So in a way, this is a partial memoir of all the other theatre kids that featured in Devore’s life. With some creative visionaries, I can see this adapted for screenplay on off-off broadway.
As a casual lover of theater (not t-h-e-a-t-r-e), I can say only a true theatre kid could have written this. Growing up knowing many theatre kids, the one thing that’s always stood out to me was the passion and commitment they had for the stage. Everyone from crew to cast, from those who joined for fun to those who actually had Hollywood dreams—drama club was the center of their beings. And that part follows them long after drama club. Hence you see theatre kids like John Devore dedicating the majority of their debut memoir to the theatre despite him mainly being a full time writer and editor for the past 2 decades or so. Can take the man out of the theatre, can’t take the theatre out of the man I guess.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first quarter of the book. The writing was tight with balanced pacing. Things kind of fell apart for me a bit after the first 3 year time skip… and the time skips after that. It was a tremulous time in the author’s life and it shows. Of course, despite this being a memoir, we as readers are not owed all the details of the author’s life. However, as a result, certain events that were then discussed felt sudden and out of place. The influx of people being introduced and reintroduced made it hard to keep up.
But alas, the title is in plural. So in a way, this is a partial memoir of all the other theatre kids that featured in Devore’s life. With some creative visionaries, I can see this adapted for screenplay on off-off broadway.
November 18, 2025
John DeVore's memoir, Theatre Kids, is the story of a group of dreamers gathering in a black box in Brooklyn to make a play based on William Faulkner, although they couldn't say that at the time, for rights reasons. It's almost as if DeVore gives us a snowglobe moment in time, then shakes it up so that the participants relive their experience. As for himself, though, he stays on the outside, the globe-shaker, self-deprecating and humble. It's quite a feat.
Perhaps it's just me, because I come from the same off-off-Broadway background as DeVore, if a number of years earlier, but I loved this book. The author's expression of deep love for the fringe theater and theatermakers with whom he worked on a production that was ultimately seen by a literal handful of people --- a theatrical moment that then vanished into the ether, as theater inevitably does -- is so genuine that it makes us love them, too, even when, with 20/20 hindsight, we have to wonder... why? The answer is: They had to do it. Some people are just like that. And they are the best of us.
Those of us who've been there know why we do impossibly hard things to make impossible art -- and that is the strength of this memoir: DeVore conveys the why while simultaneously conveying the doubt he experienced while making it. I feel like I saw "In a Strange Room," thanks to his astute description, and, you know, he makes the production sound magnificent.
Perhaps it's just me, because I come from the same off-off-Broadway background as DeVore, if a number of years earlier, but I loved this book. The author's expression of deep love for the fringe theater and theatermakers with whom he worked on a production that was ultimately seen by a literal handful of people --- a theatrical moment that then vanished into the ether, as theater inevitably does -- is so genuine that it makes us love them, too, even when, with 20/20 hindsight, we have to wonder... why? The answer is: They had to do it. Some people are just like that. And they are the best of us.
Those of us who've been there know why we do impossibly hard things to make impossible art -- and that is the strength of this memoir: DeVore conveys the why while simultaneously conveying the doubt he experienced while making it. I feel like I saw "In a Strange Room," thanks to his astute description, and, you know, he makes the production sound magnificent.
June 10, 2024
This title just didn't do it for me. I'd been looking forward to tales of "theatre kids"—those simultaneously bleak, hopeful, creative, angry, rarely sensible "kids," at least that's what they/we were at my high school. It sounds as though John DeVore has lived an interesting life and met and worked with lots of interesting people, but there's a self-satisfied, indulgent tone to this book from the get-go that made me want to keep my distance from DeVore.
I want to acknowledge that while I'm painting his book as all-about-me, this review is really all-about-me-me, the adult woman in her sixties who hoped to astound the world with her theatrical brilliance about forty years ago. That me likes where she's moved on to much more than who she was during that time of precipitous ups and downs. If the me of forty years ago could have read this book back then, she would have thought it was genius. The me of now just didn't feel that there was much of a there there in the there DeVore is offering.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are (yup) my own.
I want to acknowledge that while I'm painting his book as all-about-me, this review is really all-about-me-me, the adult woman in her sixties who hoped to astound the world with her theatrical brilliance about forty years ago. That me likes where she's moved on to much more than who she was during that time of precipitous ups and downs. If the me of forty years ago could have read this book back then, she would have thought it was genius. The me of now just didn't feel that there was much of a there there in the there DeVore is offering.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are (yup) my own.
April 4, 2024
3.5 Stars. Reading Theatre Kids is kind of like pulling up a seat at a bar and discovering that you're sitting next to a slightly drunk (but blessedly gifted) storyteller. It's going to be a bit of a long winded ramble, but you're going to have a pretty good time listening. DaVore generalizes a bit ("Here are some signs that you're a theatre kid...") to set the tone and get some laughs, but it never bothered me. The main "story" (if these musings can even be classified as such) doesn't really start till about halfway through, when rehearsals of "In a Strange Room" begin. From here on out, DaVore does an amazing job of capturing the feel of a very specific time and place (namely, the avant-garde theatre community circa early 2000's). If this world interests you, you're probably in for a good ride. If not, you may be left slightly wondering if the destination was worth the journey. (**ARC provided by NetGalley**)
May 3, 2024
I was interested in this book as I identify with the title. What I noticed most in this audio book is a rambling trek through the author's youth in Texas followed swiftly by a move to NYC after college. The narrator has a fairly staid way of speaking throughout, fitting the writing. Topics that follow: theatre in NYC in the 80s 90s; being too cool for Broadway; grief at the death of his father; an affair with a married colleague; 9/11 in New York; and most notably, staging As I Lay Dying by Faulkner (unauthorized) as a 4 how production titled In A Strange Room. The epilogue takes us into the pandemic in NYC and theatre finding a way through it.
I suppose the level of scorn for main stream theatre is a bit disappointing for me. This book is a bit of a grab bag for one man's journey through the off off Broadway theatre scene.
Thank you to Brilliance Publishing for an advanced listening copy on @NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I suppose the level of scorn for main stream theatre is a bit disappointing for me. This book is a bit of a grab bag for one man's journey through the off off Broadway theatre scene.
Thank you to Brilliance Publishing for an advanced listening copy on @NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
May 26, 2024
A rambling look at one young man’s experiences in New York City Off-Off Broadway theater life, as well as his upbringing in Texas and — mostly — his life as an alcoholic and drug addict.
The part of the book that worked for me was the account of a very bizarre production of Faulkner staged inside a wooden box. Unfortunately, I got pretty impatient with the narrator’s rambling lack of ambition, drive or pretty much anything other than snarking about other, more talented people while stumbling outside to take a hit of coke off a key next to a dumpster.
There’s something potentially interesting about the memoir of a theater kid who comes to realize he has absolutely no talent for the career he moved to New York to achieve, but I didn’t really find it in this book.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this e-book.
The part of the book that worked for me was the account of a very bizarre production of Faulkner staged inside a wooden box. Unfortunately, I got pretty impatient with the narrator’s rambling lack of ambition, drive or pretty much anything other than snarking about other, more talented people while stumbling outside to take a hit of coke off a key next to a dumpster.
There’s something potentially interesting about the memoir of a theater kid who comes to realize he has absolutely no talent for the career he moved to New York to achieve, but I didn’t really find it in this book.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this e-book.
June 26, 2024
Meh ... I enjoyed the first half or so of the book where the author tells of his high school years, his acceptance into a college theatre program, which he was politely asked to leave, and his first foray into the world of New York theatre. The second half, however, begins to drag as he tells the story of an Off-Off- Broadway production in a tiny theater in Brooklyn in which he has a minor part. The rehearsals drag on, and at the same time the author is becoming? has become? a full-time alcoholic and part time drug addict. The readers left feeling as though he or she is sitting next to the author in a bar listening to him droning on in a drunken stupor. There's little humor and no redemption story, and the book ends with a meditation on the pandemic ... as if we need another one of those.
June 30, 2024
Thank you so much for this fantastic ARC, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it!
As a fellow theatre practitioner, I found this book relatable and loved how it captured what it is really like work in theatre, especially in shows that are very far from Broadway or in my case the West End.
I also felt a deep to connection to the protagonist and found a lot of parallels to how I often feel both as a person and a creative. I was hooked by the quote, right at the very beginning; "I wan to be loved and left alone".
I loved the narration for this audiobook, the pacing was perfect and I felt that it really was a fellow thespian talking directly to me.
My only critique is the general pacing for the book itself, I did find it slightly dragged in the middle, but overall a wonderful book.
As a fellow theatre practitioner, I found this book relatable and loved how it captured what it is really like work in theatre, especially in shows that are very far from Broadway or in my case the West End.
I also felt a deep to connection to the protagonist and found a lot of parallels to how I often feel both as a person and a creative. I was hooked by the quote, right at the very beginning; "I wan to be loved and left alone".
I loved the narration for this audiobook, the pacing was perfect and I felt that it really was a fellow thespian talking directly to me.
My only critique is the general pacing for the book itself, I did find it slightly dragged in the middle, but overall a wonderful book.
July 11, 2024
A dysfunctional love story to the theatre. A coming-of-age tale cast within NYC and on unknown stages. The author’s story is keen to spark the hearts of any theatre kid or Broadway enthusiast. Full of both hopeful adventure and tragic experience, the reader can feel each puff of a cigarette and each ride on a NYC subway. I appreciated the experiences being shared, but aside from small theatre exposure I have, it did not resonate with me deeply.
The audiobook is read by Brian Holden who provides an easily understood voice at faster speeds.
Thank you NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing, Globe Pequot, and author John DeVore for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. “Theatre Kids” was published June 18, 2024!
The audiobook is read by Brian Holden who provides an easily understood voice at faster speeds.
Thank you NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing, Globe Pequot, and author John DeVore for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. “Theatre Kids” was published June 18, 2024!
July 31, 2024
I love John, and I love his book. But you, internet stranger, will probably also love it if you're an artist, or if you're a joiner who can't stand groups, or if you've ever thrown yourself into a newer, bigger mistake because, as Sally Bowles sang, maybe this time.
A bracing, mordant, and honest snapshot of one very particular soul at one very particular moment. And you know that kind of specificity is actually the best kind of universal.
(Also? I can now absolutely recommend the experience of reading a memoir about some of your dearest friends, artistic collaborators, and your actual spouse, detailing their lives mere months before you met them all.)
A bracing, mordant, and honest snapshot of one very particular soul at one very particular moment. And you know that kind of specificity is actually the best kind of universal.
(Also? I can now absolutely recommend the experience of reading a memoir about some of your dearest friends, artistic collaborators, and your actual spouse, detailing their lives mere months before you met them all.)
April 17, 2024
A memoir of a life spent pursuing the dream of theatre and largely having those dreams crushed. This is also a story of addiction and the abdication from real life to a life of fantasy. It is written with a kind of desperate wit and pity for the man he once was and a sort of gritty honesty that reveals much about the author and shines a light on the ease with which time spent pursuing the arts can be used to replace the need to build an actual, real, life. This was much sadder than the synopsis implied, but pretty compelling nonetheless.
June 27, 2024
Theatre Kids is part love letter to amateur theatre, part memoir of alcoholism and addiction. Two disparate parts angling for center stage throughout, and to the detriment of both.
The author seems to have learned many lessons on his journey (applause!), but fails to really impart them — an honest attempt at vulnerability that never totally scratches the surface.
The titular community is introduced, but never fully brought to life - not really meeting my expectations of a book with this title.
The author seems to have learned many lessons on his journey (applause!), but fails to really impart them — an honest attempt at vulnerability that never totally scratches the surface.
The titular community is introduced, but never fully brought to life - not really meeting my expectations of a book with this title.
September 6, 2024
It's short, which is great. It covers the creation and run of an off-off-Broadway production of As I Lay Dying that was likely illegal, which is super interesting. It's dripping in self-loathing, which is mildly interesting but mostly reads as pretentious. It feels a bit like it's written by a theatre person who actively hates theatre or at least is trying to. I found some of it alienating, but I did enjoy, in general, reading about off-off-Broadway, though I would argue this is as much a memoir of alcoholism as it is theatre.
July 1, 2024
Full disclosure: I know the author and many of the people featured in this book, so I will cop to being biased. But, I can also verify how accurate this book is about many facets of New York life: about the low budget theater experience, surviving hand-to-mouth there, the life of an addict there, the kinds of sweet, talented, committed people who commit to a life in the arts there, the special brand of gallows humor that the city inspires - it's all here. And, I was nodding along in recognition at something on every single page. Plus, there is plenty of disarmingly honest and sardonic humor that may provoke more than a few unexpected laughs. I cannot recommend this one highly enough.
July 26, 2024
I can’t resist a book called “Theatre Kids,” and DeVore captured the creative drive and aspirational eccentricity of true theatre kids. Beyond that, the writing was self-indulgent without being too self-aware. It was not chronological, which made for a disjunct narrative. And though there was a teased salvation from alcoholism, we never saw how that came to be.
May 28, 2024
This book is beautiful, honest, divergent, and rings with a clear and precise voice — actually, now that I think about it, "Theatre Kids" mirrors my very favorite kinds of theater. A must-read for anyone who's ever dared to make things.
July 11, 2024
A heartfelt and sobering snapshot of Off-Off Broadway in 2004. It really moved me.
July 24, 2024
Self-loathing in NYC. But wow did I love the look at the theatre scene off off Broadway. I hope he's doing okay.
January 10, 2025
I’m gonna be so honest I really did not fuck with this at all - some fun parts at the beginning but the author is kinda giving incel in a weird way and like the vibes are just awfffff sorry
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