[ebooks] Great Lengths: Seven Works of Marathon Theater by Jonathan Kalb at Arts-Photography

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A rare and enjoyable book of criticismBy Forest F. WhitePros: When I began reading this. the only book I could find that detailed a performance of Goethes Faust I and II (which is seldom performed. let alone written about). I was under the false impression that this critic was only going to cover the highlights of these long performances. I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of analysis provided in this book. I cant say Ive seen all the performances covered here. as each is a sort of marathon of theater. but this book left me with an appreciation of the place and intent of Einstein on the Beach and Nicholas Nickleby. which I had actively avoided. and broader critical perspective on The Ramayana and my beloved Faust. which I thoroughly enjoyed. Even seeing all of these performances is a noteworthy feat. but the discussion here goes far beyond simply conveying their immensity. artistry. and flaws.Cons: I cannot fault the author for taking an academic stance at times. and when he does. he does a good job of making obtuse cultural concepts accessible to anyone with a basic appreciation of culture and theory. However. I found the analysis of Angels in America more difficult than the others. Perhaps this is in tandem with the complexity of the work; perhaps it is because of my own background in queer theory. There is a lot written about this play and for good reason because it isnt easy to navigate. I have sought an analysis that I could really get into for some time. and the treatment here approaches a good combination of thoroughness and theory. but I still felt unresolved at the end. like there was more to say but it was maybe not polite or savvy to do so.Summary: I challenge you to find another book on this subject that isnt the subject of a dissertation. as this book examines some of the most ambitious works ever performed. More-over. it is written with a conscious and penetrating style. to offer depth where once I saw none. and complexity where once I generalized. It is an *enjoyable* work of criticism. which I seldom encounter. 4.5 stars.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Marathon Theater seen through the Lens of Passionate ScholarshipBy Virginia PyeI came to this book of scholarship knowing nothing. or at least very little. about marathon theater. Kalbs easy and intelligent style brought me into this particular. and perhaps most refined. corner of the theater world. But. I did not feel that either the subject or his writing were too erudite for me to enjoy the beauty and intelligence of long theater works.Kalb weaves his impressive historical knowledge of theather into detailed descriptions of marathon productions he has seen and studied. The opinions of other critics are likewise woven into the immediate descriptions of the works. For example. while sharing the swirl of criticsm that surrounded the Mahabharata at the time of its showing in New York. Kalb also gives us a keen visceral sense of being there in the theater with him to see the show. The politics behind Angels in America. both in the theater world and in the country at large. is woven into eloquent descriptions of the show. each actor and their performance. The energy. the rise and fall within each production. and the success of each work are all carefully shown.This makes for fascinating reading. I felt privileged to "see" these masterworks through Kalbs eyes. and it made me more interested than ever to witness marathon theater myself in the future. This is criticism at its best--when thater history. politics and aesthetic debate all inform carefully wrought descriptions of the plays as performed.Kalbs love of the theater. his respect and occasional awe for the playwrights. directors and actors is what propels this book. He is passionate about great theater and shares that passion through dynamic scholarship.