Description: Collected interviews with the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, director, author, and actor known for creating the Family Trilogy of plays and appearing in many films like The Right Stuff, Fool for Love, and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Brief description: Robert M. Dowling is professor of English at Central Connecticut State University. He is author of Eugene O'Neill: A Life in Four Acts, which was named a Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist for biography in 2015.
Review Quotes: Throughout the book, Shepard's respect for and trust in stage actors is evident. He repeatedly expresses that he feels strong performers assist him in identifying parts of his writing that are not truthful. He expresses admiration for a number of performers who have enlivened his work, including John Malkovich, Stephen Rea, and Bob Hoskins, among others. It is also fascinating to trace Shepard's own evolution as an actor throughout the text. The insight into Shepard's life and career is invaluable, and this book would be a strong addition to any collection that concerns the major figures of contemporary US American theatrical culture.--Bradford G. Sadler "Theatre History Studies"