Best of
Drama

1966

The Lion in Winter


James Goldman - 1966
    In James Goldman’s classic play The Lion in Winter, domestic turmoil rises to an art form. Keenly self-aware and motivated as much by spite as by any sense of duty, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine maneuver against each other to position their favorite son in line for succession. By imagining the inner lives of Henry, Eleanor, and their sons, John, Geoffrey, and Richard, Goldman created the quintessential drama of family strife and competing ambitions, a work that gives visceral, modern-day relevance to the intrigues of Angevin England. Combining keen historical and psychological insight with delicious, mordant wit, the stage play has become a touchstone of today’s theater scene, and Goldman’s screenplay for the 1968 film adaptation won him an Academy Award. Told in “marvelously articulate language, with humor that bristles and burns” (Los Angeles Times), The Lion in Winter is the rare play that bursts into life on the printed page.

Man of La Mancha


Dale Wasserman - 1966
    That current is best identified by its catch-labels--Theater of the Absurd, Black Comedy, the Theater of Cruelty--which is to say the theater of alienation, of moral anarchy and despair. To the practitioners of those philosophies Man of La Mancha must seem hopelessly naive in its espousal of illusion as man's strongest spiritual need, the most meaningful function of his imagination. But I've no unhappiness about that. "Facts are the enemy of truth," says Cervantes-Don Quixote. And that is precisely what I felt and meant."--Dale Wasserman, from the Preface.

Tai-Pan Part 1 Of 2


James Clavell - 1966
    And it is in this exciting time and exotic place that a giant of an Englishman, Dirk Straun, sets out to turn the desolate island of Hong Kong into an impregnable fortress of British power, and to make himself supreme ruler…Tai-Pan!

Wait Until Dark


Frederick Knott - 1966
    Susy Hendrix, a blind Greenwich Village housewife, is terrorized by a trio of men looking for heroin they believe her husband has hidden in a doll.

Tai-Pan Part 2 Of 2


James Clavell - 1966
    And it is in this exciting time and exotic place that a giant of an Englishman, Dirk Struan, sets out to turn the desolate island of Hong Kong into a bastion of British power, and to make himself the supreme ruler: the Tai-Pan. Following SHOGUN, this is second in the Asian saga. "A great romantic saga that wonderfully captures the founding of Hong Kong, a must read for fans of historical fiction." (Amazon.com)

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead


Tom Stoppard - 1966
    Echoes of Waiting for Godot resound, reality and illusion mix, and where fate leads heroes to a tragic but inevitable end.

Lily and Me


Moses Aaron - 1966
    It is here that he meets Lily, a young girl suffering from Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, and they form an instant bond. From that day onwards Moses visits Lily every week and she bombards him with question after question; Where were you born? Do you have any pets? Why are you bald?Moses fills there visits with stories and adventures and when it is Lily's birthday and she is free to go home for the weekend he joins her and they have an afternoon of storytelling fun.The book ends with Lily's sudden, but inevitable, death but Moses will spend the rest of his life feeling as though she is still there with him.

A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino: An Elegy in Three Scenes


Nick Joaquín - 1966
    Originally published in 1966 - this is a recent reprint of the play in English.

The Sound of Music: The Complete Book and Lyrics


Howard Lindsay - 1966
    When a postulant proves too high-spirited for the religious life, she is dispatched to serve as governess for the seven children of a widowed naval captain. Her growing rapport with the youngsters, coupled with her generosity of spirit, gradually captures the heart of the stern captain, and they marry. Upon returning from their honeymoon they discover that Austria has been invaded by the Nazis, who demand the captain's immediate service in their navy. The family's narrow escape over the mountains to Switzerland on the eve of World War II provides one of the most thrilling and inspirational finales ever presented in the theatre. The motion picture version remains the most popular movie musical of all time.

No One Hears but Him


Taylor Caldwell - 1966
    Through their very human experiences Miss Caldwell illuminates the spiritual crises of our time and brings into triumphant focus the power of faith in a world that puts faith in power. This dramatic and modern novel is a book for everyone in search of courage and peace of mind.

The Theatre of Revolt: An Approach to Modern Drama


Robert Brustein - 1966
    Focusing on each of them in turn, Mr. Brustein considers the nature of their revolt, the methods employed in their plays, their influences on the modern drama, and the playwrights themselves. "One of the standard and decisive books on the modern theater.... It shows us the men behind the works, ... what they wanted to write about and the private hell within each of them which led to the enduring works we continue to treasure."-New York Times Book Review. "The best single collection of essays I know of on modern drama... remarkably fine and sensitive pieces of criticism. "-Alvin, Kernan, Yale Review.

Shakespeare: Time and Conscience


Grigori Kozintsev - 1966
    His book will be of special interest to American readers for its discussions of Shakespeare's plays and also for what it reveals about the new humanistic spirit astir in the Soviet Union today."

She Stoops to Conquer / School for Scandal


Oliver Goldsmith - 1966
    THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL is an outstanding example of Sheridan's dazzling wit. Goldsmith's SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER is full of a robust good humor reminiscent of Shakespeare. Originally produced at a time when the English stage had long been dominated by a succession of mawkish, sentimental dramas, these two plays created immediate sensations. With their bumbling heroes, charming rogues and elegant ladies, their fantastic deceptions and frantic denouements, their fundamental decency and high spirits, these two plays continue to delight modern audiences.

Romulus and Romulus the Great


Gore Vidal - 1966
    Romulus the Broadway adaptation and the original Romulus the Great by Friedrich Duerrenmatt.