John Heilpern 
How Good is David Mamet, Anyway? [PDF ebook] 
Writings on Theater–and Why It Matters

First Published in 2000. Why do we go to the theater? There”s a question! Or put it this way: Why, oh why, do we go to the theater? If we go to a movie and it isn”t any good, well it”s not the end of the world. We”re usually quite content just the same. It passes the time. Though, as Samuel Beckett pointed out, the time would have passed anyway. But if we”re disappointed at the theater, everything changes dramatically. We cannot while away the time at the theater. Time becomes precious. This is a collection of writings about the world of the theatre and includes pieces about Sir John Gielgud, Sir Ralph Richardson, Arthur Miller, Michael Bennett, Noel Coward, Barbra Streisand, Ralph Fiennes and more.