Listmania!
Theater books I have enjoyed
By an Amazon.com customer
Theories of the Theatre: A Historical and Critical Survey, from the Greeks to the PresentTheories of the Theatre: A Historical and Critical Survey, from the Greeks to the Present by Marvin Carlson
Buy new: $22.45 / Used from: $10.25
You need to start with theory.
The Street Where I LiveThe Street Where I Live by Alan Jay Lerner
Buy used from: $5.62
Beautifully written memoir.
Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical "Follies"Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical "Follies" by Ted Chapin
Buy used from: $1.98
Great narrative about the creation of "Follies."
Act One: An Autobiography by Moss HartAct One: An Autobiography by Moss Hart by Moss Hart
Buy used from: $3.69
Moss Hart's great paean to his love of theater and George S. Kaufman.
Stephen Sondheim: A lifeStephen Sondheim: A life by Meryle Secrest
Buy used from: $6.53
Good biography of a pivotal figure in the American theater.
History of the TheatreHistory of the Theatre by Oscar G. Brockett
Buy new: $104.65 / Used from: $2.00
The gold standard of dates, places and names.
The New Radical Theater Notebook (Applause Books)The New Radical Theater Notebook (Applause Books) by Arthur Sainer
Buy new: $13.57 / Used from: $4.50
A great look at the turbulent aesthetic forms of the 1960s.
Ghost Light: A MemoirGhost Light: A Memoir by Frank Rich
Buy new: $11.16 / Used from: $0.01
Frank Rich's love of theater comes through on every page.
Towards a Poor Theatre (Theatre Arts (Routledge Paperback))Towards a Poor Theatre (Theatre Arts (Routledge Paperback)) by Grotowski
Buy new: $17.79 / Used from: $17.79
Opens up the possibilities of what theater can be.
Drama Was a WeaponDrama Was a Weapon by Morgan Yale Himelstein
Buy used from: $14.20
An interesting look at one particular kind of radical theater.
BroadwayBroadway by Brooks Atkinson
Buy used from: $0.85
Great theater critic's take on Broadway.
Feeling and FormFeeling and Form by Susanne K. Langer
Buy used from: $55.97
An essential for playwrights and directors.
Wit's End: Days and Nights of the Algonquin Round TableWit's End: Days and Nights of the Algonquin Round Table by James R. Gaines
Buy used from: $1.33
A look at the Algonquin Round Table and its influence on 1920s theater.
The Theatre of the AbsurdThe Theatre of the Absurd by Martin Esslin
Buy new: $10.20 / Used from: $6.00
The plays may be old, but the theory is still interesting.
The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway (Limelight)The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway (Limelight) by William Goldman
Buy new: $20.00 / Used from: $6.52
Time capsule of Broadway in the 1960s with provocative commentary.
Lives of the Circus Animals: A NovelLives of the Circus Animals: A Novel by Christopher Bram
Buy used from: $0.01
Fun read about the theatrical community in contemporary Manhattan.
Contradictions: Notes on twenty-six years in the theatreContradictions: Notes on twenty-six years in the theatre by Harold (Hal) Prince
Buy used from: $5.40
Harold Prince's take on the early part of his life.
Timebends: A LifeTimebends: A Life by Arthur Miller
Buy used from: $0.57
Arthur Miller's autobiography.
Monster in a BoxMonster in a Box by Spalding Gray
Buy new: $15.00 / Used from: $0.01
Spalding Gray talks about his theatrical travails while he tries to write a novel.
American Musical Theater: A ChronicleAmerican Musical Theater: A Chronicle by Gerald Bordman
Buy new: $76.00 / Used from: $27.71
A good reference work about musicals.
Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical FlopsNot Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops by Ken Mandelbaum
Buy new: $14.95 / Used from: $6.83
Delicious chronicle of Broadway disasters.
Hot Seat: Theater Criticism for The New York Times, 1980-1993Hot Seat: Theater Criticism for The New York Times, 1980-1993 by Frank Rich
Buy used from: $24.90
Recent New York theater as seen through the eyes of Frank Rich.
Aristotle's Poetics (Dramabook,)Aristotle's Poetics (Dramabook,) by Aristotle
Buy new: $8.91 / Used from: $0.01
The granddaddy of theatrical theory.
Richard RodgersRichard Rodgers by Geoffrey Block
Buy new: $22.00 / Used from: $0.88
Troubling life of a theaterical genius.