Arthur Laurents bol americký dramatik a scenárista, ktorého diela sa často zaoberali spoločenskými a politickými témami. Jeho scenáre a hry sa vyznačovali ostrou dialógovou líniou a hlbokým vhľadom do ľudskej psychiky. Laurents bol známy svojím kritickým pohľadom na americkú spoločnosť a jej stereotypy. Jeho práce dodnes rezonujú svojou nadčasovosťou a dôležitosťou.
Arthur Laurents' autobiography reveals his multifaceted career, highlighting his contributions to theater and film. Known for iconic musicals like West Side Story and Gypsy, he also penned socially conscious plays and worked as a successful screenwriter and director. The narrative offers an engaging look at his experiences and insights, showcasing the evolution of his artistic journey and the impact of his work on American culture.
George Oppenheimer's brief summation: "It skirts about the fairy story of , but never settles for long in one mold. There is social comment on conformity and other failings of our modern civilization; there is satire of the mores of the rich and the not so rich; there is also pure, unadulterated, old-fashioned romance, a commodity too rarely hawked from our contemporary stage. The story deals largely with the conflict between summer visitors to the South Shore of Long Island and two of the permanent residents who become entangled in their lives. The visitors, rich, sophisticated, conventional (although they would bridle at the word), have come for the wedding of a lovely young girl and a highly eligible young man. There is, however, one deterrent to this eminently suitable alliance. The bride-to-be keeps falling asleep, especially on those occasions when her intended discusses their secure and predictable future. During one of these naps another young man, poor, unambitious and unshackled, kisses the girl and wakes her up with a vengeance. From then on, there is a battle between the kissing boy's mother, as free a soul as her son, and the two mothers of the prospective bride and groom. And in the middle is caught an attractive man, who is inextricably involved with both camps."
Book by Arthur Laurents, Laurents, Arthur
From playwright, screenwriter, and director Laurents comes a mesmerizing book about theater, art and the artist, the insider and the outsider--and the making of two of the greatest musicals of the American stage: "Gypsy" and "West Side Story."
Příběh je zasazený do období konce II.světové války a krátce po ní.Katie patří k malé skupince angažovaných studentů,kteří se s naivním zápalem zasazují o své ideály,kvůli kterým jsou terčem posměchu svých kolegů.Je to zároveň i čas prvních milostných vztahů a pro Katie dokonce setkání s velkou láskou.Je rozhodnutá za každou cenu dosáhnout svůj cíl.Usiluje se získat Hubbella Gardinera,který ležerním přístupem k životu i k lidem představuje protipól impulzivní Katie.Sledujeme jejich společný,ne vždy idylický život v Kalifornii v atraktivním prostředí filmového studia.Ukazuje se také,že i tady zářivé slunce vrhá dlouhé stíny ...
