Great Lives: Theater

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Who comes to mind when you think of great lives of the theater? Chekhov, Tennessee Williams, Shakespeare, Helen Hayes, Laurence Olivier, Sarah Bernhardt? Whether readers prefer the playwrights or the actors, they are both represented in this far-reaching title, as are many others, such as Ibsen, Moliere, O'Neill, Shaw, Edwin Booth, Ethel Barrymore, Lorraine Hansberry, and Paul Robeson. From classical dramatists to 20th-century actors, this volume includes a varied cross-section of 26 theater greats. Each life is portrayed in vivid, engaging prose, punctuated frequently with quotes from personal writings, works, and other sources. Black-and-white photographs and drawings accompany each biography. This book will make informative and entertaining reading for anyone interested in the history of the theater, but will probably be used primarily as a resource for information on particular personalities. The extensive list of further readings will also help in this regard. However, anyone searching for contemporary names will have to look elsewhere; only three of the individuals included are still living.-Marilyn Makowski, Greenwood High School, SC