In this new gathering of his work, the celebrated critic, theatre director, and playwright expands on a theme he first developed in his influential essay "The Decline of Culture." Mr. Brustein turns his witty, penetrating, and sometimes scathing gaze on the various scourges afflicting high art in America, from the Supreme Court's endorsement of NEA content restrictions, through the breakdown of taste and standards as a consequence of political correctness, to the failure of arts education and the exaltation of amateurism. He sees a rapid deterioration in respect and appreciation for the achievements of our most talented and uncompromising artists. The Siege of the Arts is not, however, simply a jeremiad. Mr. Brustein also celebrates the best that is being thought and written in America, analyzing the major theatrical achievements of the decade (including works by O'Neill, Miller, Williams, Albee, Richard Nelson, Julie Taymor, Kenneth Lonergan, and Paula Vogel), exploring foreign stages (London, Berlin, Moscow, even Las Vegas) where the situation of the arts throws light on our own predicament, and saluting a number of practicing artists (Sondheim, Mamet, Beckett, Stella Adler, and others) who have kept our performing arts alive. In all, readers who have come to depend upon Mr. Brustein for bracing, incisive, and invigorating criticism will find The Siege of the Arts a distinctive delight.

A collection of essays and theatre reviews that were, for the most part, first published in The New Republic. While the bulk of the material is devoted to the reviews of plays, a number of essays look at such issues as the National Endowment for the Arts funding for controversial art, the "politically-correct" atmosphere on college campuses, the lack of music education in American education, the contribution of Jews to the theatre, threats to the future of the theatre, and the societal role of the theatre critic.
Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

"Most critics write quick stuff for the morning after a show opens, but Brustein writes more durable prose. His incisive opinions about even the most minor shows remain fascinating years after such productions have closed." Booklist

Mr. Brustein turns his witty, penetrating, and sometimes scathing gaze on the various scourges afflicting high art in America, from the Supreme CourtUs endorsement of NEA content restrictions, through the breakdown of taste and standards as a consequence of political correctness, to the failure of arts education and the exaltation of amateurism. Mr. Brustein also celebrates the best that is being thought and written in America, analyzing the major theatrical achievements of the decade.

"An elegant and eloquent voice in the wilderness of contemporary American culture" (New York Times Book Review), Robert Brustein is founder and artistic director of the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard University, and theatre critic for the New Republic. His distinguished books on theatre and culture include Cultural Calisthenics, Dumbocracy in America, and The Theatre of Revolt, all published by Ivan R. Dee.