In 1989 Susan Johann was hired to photograph Christopher Durang for a magazine article about his play Naomi in Her Living Room. The playwright was known for his outrageous comedy; so Johann anticipated a session with a rather wild; young eccentric. To her surprise; the man who came to her studio was mild mannered and buttoned down. Johann found this twist captivating; and it was then that this project was born. Over the ensuing twenty-year period; she photographed more than ninety playwrights; including many winners of the Pulitzer Prize and other prestigious awards.Johann photographed Wendy Wasserstein; Anna Deavere Smith; August Wilson; and Nilo Cruz in the weeks after they won the Pulitzer. Tony Kushner sat for his portrait between the productions of part 1 and part 2 of Angels in America. Eve Ensler came to Johannrsquo;s studio during the week she was previewing her famous one-woman show; The Vagina Monologues; and George C. Wolfe sat for her the morning after his play Spunk opened at the Public Theater.Each playwright was photographed in Johannrsquo;s studio using the same film; a single light; and a plain backdrop; creating a portrait that captures and distills something essentialmdash;an intimate view. Her interviews explore the writersrsquo; personal and creative journeys including their inspirations; roadblocks; and obsessions; which influenced their work on paper and on the stage. Even those who know Edward Albeersquo;s plays intimately; for example; may be surprised by his incisive wit and inimitable voice as revealed in his interview with Johann.Beyond the book; Focus on Playwrights is also a live; multimedia presentation in which Johann narrates an inside look at creativitymdash;the theater and photography. It has been given at such venues as the New Dramatists in New York; the Eugene Orsquo;Neill Theater; the Tryon Fine Arts Center and at the Photo Expo in New York.
#2098402 in eBooks 2015-12-17 2015-12-17File Name: B0176HP76G
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