Synopses & Reviews
After writing a monologue on the subject of Israel and Palestine, David Hare forced himself to make his debut on the professional stage at the age of fifty-one. When his success at London's austere Royal Court theatre led to an invitation to appear in New York at a somewhat flashier Broadway venue, Hare was transformed from a shadowy playwright into an actor alone on the stage every night for ninety minutes.
Hare's hilarious diary of his experience on both sides of the Atlantic tells of his difficulties in coming to terms with his frightening change of career, but also grapples with more serious questions about what the difference is between acting and performance, and whether anyone can learn to do either.
Review
'You might not fully appreciate it when it happens, but the most memorable and gutsy moment of this theatrical season to date is when David Hare, a slim, trim, unassuming figure in his fifties...steps onto the stage of the Booth Theatre to begin his performance playing David Hare in his own
Via Dolorosa. David Hare, the British playwright? Yes, and not only that, but a playwright making his debut as a professional actor." --
The New York Times"Hare resembles but surpasses Ed Murrow on radio drawing word pictures of the blitz in London. He is the ancient storyteller unfolding his tales under the shade of a tree, in the village square or a fire-lit town...One leaves Hare's performance with the conviction that one word can be worth a thousand pictures." --Wall Street Journal
"You go expecting to hear a talk. What you get is a deeply moving theatrical mosaic." --Guardian
About the Author
David Hare was born in Sussex, England in 1947. His first play,
Slag, was produced in 1970. His other works include
Plenty (1978),
A Map of the World (1983), and
Pravda (1985). A founder of the Portable Theatre and the Joint Stock, he became resident dramatist and literary manager of the Royal Court Theatre, London (1967-71), and at the Nottingham Playhouse (1973). Until recently, Hare served as director of the National Theatre, London. In 1982, Hare founded a film company, Greenpoint Films. He has written several screenplays including
Plenty (1985),
Weatherby (1985),
Strapless (1989), and
Damage (1992). Several of his best-known plays,
The Secret Rapture,
Racing Demon,
Skylight,
The Judas Kiss,
Via Dolorosa and
Amy's View have been presented on Broadway.