Reality and fantasy are interwoven with terrifying power as two actors on tour--brother and sister--find themselves deserted by the trope in a decrepit "state theatre in an unknown state." Faced (perhaps) by an audience expecting a performance, they enact "The Two-Character Play"--an illusions within an illusion, and "out cry" from isolation, panic and fear. "I think it is my most beautiful play since Streetcar ," Tennessee Williams said, "and I've never stopped working on it....It is a cri de coeur , but then all ...
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Reality and fantasy are interwoven with terrifying power as two actors on tour--brother and sister--find themselves deserted by the trope in a decrepit "state theatre in an unknown state." Faced (perhaps) by an audience expecting a performance, they enact "The Two-Character Play"--an illusions within an illusion, and "out cry" from isolation, panic and fear. "I think it is my most beautiful play since Streetcar ," Tennessee Williams said, "and I've never stopped working on it....It is a cri de coeur , but then all creative work, all life, in a sense is a cri de coeur ." In the course of its evolution, several earlier versions of The Two-Character Play have been produced. The first of them was presented in 1967 in London and Chicago and brought out in 1969 by New Directions in a signed limited edition. The next, staged in 1973 in New York under the title Out Cry , was published by New Directions in 1973 The third version (New York, 1975), again titled The Two-Character Play , is the one Tennessee Williams wished to include in New Directions' The Theatre of Tennessee Williams series. It is this version which is presented in this ND paperback.
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Add this copy of The Two-Character Play to cart. $9.29, very good condition, Sold by Hawking Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Edgewood, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1979 by New Directions Publishing Corporation.
Add this copy of The Two-Character Play to cart. $12.29, good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1979 by New Directions Publishing Corporation.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
Add this copy of The Two-Character Play to cart. $27.00, like new condition, Sold by Between the Covers-Rare Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester City, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by New Directions Book.
Add this copy of The Two-Character Play to cart. $105.50, new condition, Sold by GridFreed rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from San Diego, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1979 by New Directions.
Add this copy of The Two-Character Play to cart. $207.00, like new condition, Sold by Abacus Bookshop rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Pittsford, NY, UNITED STATES, published 1976 by New Directions.
Add this copy of The Two-Character Play to cart. $357.00, very good condition, Sold by Between the Covers-Rare Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester City, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 1969 by New Directions Book.
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Near Fine. First edition. Mottling on cloth spine, else near fine housed in a very good slightly warped slipcase with mild toning. This is 40 of 350 numbered copies Signed by the author.
Add this copy of Two Character Play to cart. $402.00, very good condition, Sold by George Houle rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Palm Springs, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1969 by NY, NEW DIRECTIONS, 1969.
Add this copy of The Two-Character Play to cart. $8.79, good condition, Sold by ZBK Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Woodland Park, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 1979 by New Directions.
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Fast &-Good condition. It may show normal signs of use such as light writing highlighting or library markings but all pages are intact and the book is fully readable. A solid complete copy that's ready to enjoy.
Tennessee Williams is not the most private writer of the 20th century, it's true. We all know of the obvious parallels between his life and some of his more popular pieces, "The Glass Menagerie," "A Streetcar Named Desire," or "Suddenly Last Summer." His relationship with his sister, Rose, has peppered the pages of his plays at almost every opportunity. It was often the driving force for his writing; the nagging need to validate her mental clarity (as well as his own), especially toward the end of his career when the plays he produced started to lack commercial appeal. "The Two Character Play," as well as his Fitzgerald-play, "Clothes for a Summer Hotel," is one of the best examples of how Tennessee put his heart into his work, because by this time in his life he was writing more for himself than for the world. "The Two Character Play" maintained his devotion toward the end of his life. It was reworked many times, eventually as "Out Cry," and Tennessee believed it to be his best work since "Streetcar." It is, as the title suggests, with two characters; a brother and a sister; Tennessee and Rose. The relationship that he held dearest in his heart is the purest inspiration for this play-the only message it begs to make clear. And in understanding that message, the reader can understand Tennessee. This book is a gift, giving us the chance to hear from Tennessee himself-the way he wanted to be heard.
