This book is a beautiful account of the struggles and events surrounding Harold Clurman during his time with the Group Theater. Harold starts off by revealing how his life brought him to establish the Group along with Lee Strasberg and Cheryl Crawford. It then continues and describes the significant struggles and events encountered by the Group and its members along with some beautiful and extremely important observations Harold made, not only regarding the theater community and its participants, but also about our society in general and its effect on art in general.

This book is an absolute must for any serious actor or director. For that matter, anyone serious about life would gain from reading this book. The Group Theater was a wonderful "experiment" fostered by some very passionate people who not only helped to shape theater in America, but they also played a significant role in laying the groundwork from which some of the best acting and directing has emerged as seen in films and theater since that time.

I stand in disbelief when folks in the "business" don't know about Harold Clurman or the Group Theater and it members.

The Group Theatre, modeled off of the equally influencial Moscow Art Theatre, was an artistic organization that completely and drastically revolutionized not only American Theatre, but World Theatre as well.

Formed in the 1930's and comprised of what has become a literal who's who of Theatre: Clifford Odets, Elia Kazan, Harold Clurman, Robert Lewis, Stella Adler, Lee Strasberg, Cheryl Crawford, John Garfield, Sanford Meisner and many others, The Group Theatre sought to create a vibrant and organic native theatre that sought to not only mirror the times but also instigate radical social change.

At no other time in American history has an artistic group been comprised of so many talented individuals focused on one aesthetic and political goal. Despite one's political leanings (make no mistake, The Group Theatre were extreme leftest liberals), The Fervent Years provides and endless and bountiful amount of inspiration and stimulation for any theatre artist.

Clurman writes in a fine dramatic style that boils with passion, wit and insight. The Fervent Years is required reading for all devotees of The Theatre. But don't let that scare you, it is a most entertaining read at the same time.

Admittedly, I read this under duress in my "Theatre History Seminar" course in college. However, it turned out to be one of the most inspiring pieces I have ever read.

_The Fervent Years_ chronicles the birth and triumph of The Group Theater. This group of actors, directors, producers, and theater enthusiasts sacrificed time, money, and easy fame to explore the roots of drama. The product of their efforts was the creation of a truly American style of theater.

Although the book has a decidedly theatrical spin, I think that all readers (from all backgrounds and interests) can benefit from reading this excellent piece. Right before I have to face a major challenge, I whip out my copy and give it another read.

Also, Clurman's self-centered, self-celebrating anecdotes never cease to amuse.

Along with Elia Kazan, who called Clurman a masterful director possessing the greatest mind he ever saw, Harold Clurman built a peerless career in American Theatre. Present here is his advice to all directors, that new (really only invented in the latter part of the 19th century)creature of the world's oldest art form. Clurman displays his analytical abilities certainly in discribing script breakdowns and picturalization, but he also reveals a real understanding of human nature. His advice on how to deal with problems and crises that always appear during a production prove most sagelike. Purchase this along with William Ball's superlative "A Sense Of Direction" along with William Converse's textbook "Directing For The Stage" to create a most helpful library for any director.

I read Harold Clurman's book 25 years ago when I first started directing theatre, and I return to it now. I still find it fun to read, highly informational, insightful, true. I recommend it to anyone starting out as a director, and I recommend returning to it again and again. Without Harold Clurman's insightful book on directing, I daresay I may never have felt at home in the theatre. He takes you there, shows you how to thrive there, and you want to stay.

Harold Clurman, who has directed many successful plays in his time, shares with the reader some of his wit and wisdom. Clurman breaks down his "technique" chapter by chapter to give the reader his thoughts on character analysis, rehearsals, etc. This helpful book is a great read for aspiring directors, like myself, or anyone already working in the field. Clurman's humor is woven through the book through his use of anecdotes and examples.

An enjoyable, insightful read.

People like Eugene Ionesco, Samuel Beckett, and Bertolt Brecht are some of the most influential modern playwrights, and this book collects some of their most important plays. Seminal works like "Rhinoceros", "Waiting for Godot", "The Caucasian Chalk Circle", and "American Buffalo" are compiled in this book. Fascinating reading!

Lewis has a much more theatrical approach to acting than some of his contemporaries (Strasberg, Meisner, etc). This was the first acting technique book I ever read. What struck me most was how much fun Lewis got out of the theatre and acting. It has a much different tone to it than a lot of acting books. He fills it with many funny and interesting anecdotes from his life in the theatre. His technique seems closely related to Stella Adler's. If you like this book you should check out his autobiography "Slings and Arrows". One of the founders of the Actors Studio, member of the Group Theatre, successful Broadway director, and Yale Drama School Professor (taught Meryl Streep). A fascinating man

The art of acting is ephemeral. Mr. Lewis states in his preface that one cannot "teach" acting any more than one can teach singing or dancing. If the talent and equipment exist, then a teacher may help the actor to hone his innate abilities. As one of Stanislavsky's heirs, Lewis has an eclectic approach to his advice. The book consists mostly of acting exercises he has gathered over a long career as actor and teacher and which he has found to be most helpful.

The exercises are presented as transcriptions of actual classes--which they may be. The text includes what seems to be directives to named individuals "Ralph, take Rosemany by both her hands." This presentation choice has the effect of energizing the text with the immediateness that comes from speech. The reader receives a voyeuristic pull as though he were an outsider observing the class behind a two-way mirror. This style choice also relays a sense of Lewis as a teacher who is intelligent, generous and with a sense of humor.

The exercises themselves are excellent. Lewis talks through an exercise so a reader could actually follow the directions. Then he explains why the exercise is important and how it helps an actor gain control over his instrument, that is his own physical, emotional and mental being.

Lewis's approach is focused. The explanations are packed with detail. They are also practical. Lewis slips in helpful hints; for example, he tells how an actor simply by touching a physical object can dissipate a severe case of nervousness during performance. The tension leaves the actor's body and goes into the object.

The exercises are organized into chapters that concentrate on technique areas that actors must master to improve their craft: relaxation, body work, concentration, sensory perception, intention. These are concepts well known to anyone who has taken acting classes. Lewis's contribution is that he presents these lessons with clarity and directness. I recommend this book to all serious acting students.

There are many aspects of Odets' work that have not particularly aged well. Frankly because he consciously was writing to reflect contemporary (for the 1930's) American Society with an extreme and blatant Leftist leaning, much of his dialouge, characterization and politicising has dated. Yet these selections still contain powerful dramatic representations of life that illuminate a segment of society that literally was ignored by the media of the time.

It is arguable, but I think it's true that without Odets' dramatization of the plight of the common man, we wouldn't have witnessed the (admittidly more poetic and timeless) works of Miller, Inge and Williams. Odets, perhaps more than any other playwright of his time, placed "the little guy" in the center of the tragic form. As one reads these plays, one becomes aware that the rules are beginning to break right before the reader's eyes.

Odets' plays are, if one is able to check their political hat at the door, fine works of dramtic lit that prove most actable while also allowing a range of staging possibilities. His narratives are clean and direct in the sense that they give the characters a series of clear objectives and actions as well as conflicts to confront. This collection is a most welcome and necessary addition to any theatre library.

I loved reading Waiting For Lefty. I tried to liken it to another play or playwright, but I can't compare it to Tennessee Williams, Neil Simon, or even Moilere! I think the best way to get a taste for it is to get it for yourself. It's definitely worth your time!

I found this book really fascinating. Clurman was a great man of the theater, but this book focuses mostly on the artists and writers he came in contact with over the course of his career, and let me say they an impressive bunch- Joyce, Stanislavski, Chaplin and on and on. From his upbringing in the Lower East Side through his years in Paris and beyond Clurman encountered so many great personalities and talents it boggles the mind. Obviously the man lived a rich and rewarding life, and it certainly shows within the pages of this fine autobiography.