"Peter Brook speaks of the theater of the past and the present, of its changes, of its various forms, of what he has seen and sees and of his own work. He speaks with the eloquence, and with the excitement of the explorer finding his way into a vast unknown but, he believes, knowable world...
The Empty Space is a brilliantly written, even ecstatic book, full of information of the world's theater and of this ecstatic book, full of information of the world's theater and of this leading worker in the theater."
-Herman Shumlin, Chicago Sun-Times "Peter Brook has written a book that is really about the
theater. When he speaks about himself, it is with a view to impart ideas pertinent to craftsmen, serious playgoers and critics alike...What I treasure most in the book is that it always harks back to the artistic, social psychological, practical bases of the theater as a concern of cultural significance."
-Harold Clurman, The New York Times Book Review "This is a brilliant book, and should be read by many besides the passionate few to whom it will be required reading."
-W. A. Darlington, The Daily Telegraph (London) "Theatergoers who care about the nature and destination of contemporary drama will be drawn to
The Empty Space with ravenous interest."
-Time "The parts of the book which I enjoyed without reservation were Brook's brief but marvelous analyses of Shakespeare's
King Lear and
Measure for Measure, two plays of which he has made outstandingly the best production of our day."
-Tyrone Guthrie, The Minneapolis Star "A classic...a hugely influential analysis of the problems confronting contemporary theatre. It's a powerful expression of the belief that it is performance, not a play text in the abstract, that is the essence of stage art."
-Paul Taylor, The Independent "Since there is no one on the theatrical scene quite like Brook, there is no other book quite like this one. A
must for any and every college library."
-Choice
