Charles Marowitz was the first American to direct at the Royal
Shakespeare Company and the first American to direct at the Czech
National Theatre (while collaborating with Vaclav Havel). Known as a
maverick playwright, director, and critic, he nurtured numerous figures
who have come to shape contemporary theatre and larger society. Without
Marowitz the theories and ideas of Antonin Artaud would remain obscure.
The entire trajectory and ecology of theatre and performance since the
1960s have been considerably influenced by this alone. The present-day
popularity of 'immersive theater' was a mode of performance introduced
to the British theatre by Charles Marowitz and Allan Kaprow in the
famous 'Happening' at the 1963 Edinburgh Drama Conference. In 1968
Marowitz started the Open Space Theatre on Tottenham Court Road in
collaboration with Thelma Holt. There is a gap in our collective
understanding of this important figure and a gap in currently available
literature about him. The Marowitz Compendium seeks to spark a
revaluation. The audience for this book includes students,
postgraduates, specialists and general readers interested in drama and
the history of contemporary theatre.
