The Siege of the Arts - Collected Writings, 1994-2001 (Paperback)

In this new gathering of his work, the celebrated critic, theatre director, and playwright expands on a theme he first developed in his influential essay "The Decline of Culture." Mr. Brustein turns his witty, penetrating, and sometimes scathing gaze on the various scourges afflicting high art in America, from the Supreme Court's endorsement of NEA content restrictions, through the breakdown of taste and standards as a consequence of political correctness, to the failure of arts education and the exaltation of amateurism. He sees a rapid deterioration in respect and appreciation for the achievements of our most talented and uncompromising artists. The Siege of the Arts is not, however, simply a jeremiad. Mr. Brustein also celebrates the best that is being thought and written in America, analyzing the major theatrical achievements of the decade (including works by O'Neill, Miller, Williams, Albee, Richard Nelson, Julie Taymor, Kenneth Lonergan, and Paula Vogel), exploring foreign stages (London, Berlin, Moscow, even Las Vegas) where the situation of the arts throws light on our own predicament, and saluting a number of practicing artists (Sondheim, Mamet, Beckett, Stella Adler, and others) who have kept our performing arts alive. In all, readers who have come to depend upon Mr. Brustein for bracing, incisive, and invigorating criticism will find The Siege of the Arts a distinctive delight.