Playhouse

Playhouse by Richard Bausch appealed to me because I studied with the author at the Sewanee Writers' Conference and have stayed in touch with him. I was also interested in the book because of the subject matter, which deals with the revival of a Shakespeare theater in Memphis (where Bausch once taught). There's a large cast of characters (and a cast list at the beginning, as befits a story about a theatrical production), and the story is told from many different points of view. Except that it isn't particularly funny, it reminded me of Slings and Arrows, the Canadian TV series about a Shakespeare festival in Canada. My interest, of course, stems from my own involvement on the Board of Trustees of the American Shakespeare Center, where I've witnessed variations on the drama and intrigue Bausch portrays in the novel. I was particularly engaged by the depiction of the production of King Lear and the challenges faced by the director and various actors.