Understanding John Guare

"An exceptionally useful introduction to the challenging work of one of the most important playwrights of the last sixty years by the preeminent scholar of contemporary American drama. This concise book combines the production history of Guare's plays, musicals, and films, a biography of the writer, and instructive analysis of the works, while situating them in their social and historical context."—Christopher J. Wheatley, Catholic University of America

"From The House of Blue Leaves to A Free Man of Color, John Guare has been one of America's most prolific, original, and fearless playwrights. William Demastes's readable, comprehensive, informed, and informative survey of Guare's oeuvre is a treat, serving equally well as reminder of or introduction to the myriad, varied plays emerging from what one critic called 'Guare's exotic yet very American imagination."—Dorothy Chansky, Texas Tech University

"Understanding John Guare offers the student, theatergoer, and interested general reader a thorough and in-depth overview of Guare's long and varied career. William Demastes—a leading authority on American drama perfectly captures Guare's hard-to-label theatrical career. Demastes's expertise and approachable writing style make this the authoritative introduction to John Guare."—Michael Y. Bennett, University of Wisconsin–Whitewater