Pinter and Stoppard: a director's view

"Harold Pinter and Tom Stoppard, by most accounts the leading British playwrights of our time, might seem to come from very different aesthetic, cultural and political worlds. But as Carey Perloff's fascinating new book reveals, the two have much in common. By examining these contemporaries alongside one another and in the context of the rehearsal room, we can glean new insights and connections, including the impact of their Jewish background on their work and their passion for the details of stagecraft. Readers of Pinter and Stoppard: A Director's View will emerge with a set of tools for approaching their work in a performance environment and for unlocking the mysteries of the plays for audiences. Esteemed theatre director Carey Perloff draws upon her first-hand experience of working with both writers, creating case studies of particular plays in production to provide new ways of positioning the work today. 30 years after major criticism on both playwrights first emerged, this is a ripe moment for a fresh examination of the unique contribution of Pinter and Stoppard in the twenty-first century."--

Introduction: The case for a shared view of Pinter's and Stoppard's work -- The Jewish connection -- The launch: Pinter and Stoppard in context -- Finding the voice in rehearsal -- Excavating "rules of play" in Pinter's The birthday party -- "Wanting to know" and the rehearsal process of Stoppard's Indian ink -- From 9/11 to the recession: Pinter's terror and the collapse of certainty in Celebration, The room, and The homecoming -- Anatomizing guilt: Stoppard's Rock 'n' roll, The hard problem, and The invention of love -- Conclusion.