John Lahr Introduces His Acclaimed Biography of Tennessee Williams

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Critic John Lahr Introduces His Acclaimed Biography of Tennessee Williams Wednesday, September 24, at 6:00 p.m. THE PLAYERS, 16 Gramercy Park South $20 in Advance, $25 at the Door This event is sponsored by THE SHAKESPEARE GUILD, and spaces may be reserved and paid for with a call to 505-670-9815 or with an email to [email protected]. Spaces may also be reserved through THE PLAYERS; see www.theplayersnyc.org or call 212-475-6116. We hope you’ll join us for an event that will launch the U.S. tour for a biography that HELEN MIRREN calls “a masterpiece about a genius.” Only JOHN LAHR, she says, “with his perceptions about the theater, about writers, about poetry, and about people, could have written this book.” Dramatist JOHN GUARE observes that “Tennessee Williams had two great pieces of luck: Elia Kazan to direct his work, and now John Lahr to make thrilling sense of his life.” Director ANDRE BISHOP adds that Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh is a labor of the profoundest love, and it comes from the heart and mind of one of our greatest theater writers.” According to playwright TONY KUSHNER, “There’s never been an American critic like JOHN LAHR. His writing exalts, honors, and dignifies the profession, and more importantly, the art.” An award-winning contributor to the New Yorker since 1992, Mr. Lahr has 20 books to his credit, among them a touching memoir, Notes on a Cowardly Lion, about his father Bert Lahr. He has produced evocative profiles of such luminaries as Woody Allen, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Mike Nichols, Harold Pinter, and Frank Sinatra. And he is the first reviewer ever to win a Tony Award, as co-author of Elaine Stritch at Liberty. His new book will be on hand for purchase, and after his conversation with the Guild’s John Andrews, he’ll be delighted to inscribe copies. Appropriately, this event will take place in a shrine to the American theatrical tradition, a club founded by Edwin Booth. .

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