"One of the few truly original experimental theater auteurs to emerge in New York during the past decade."#151;The New York Times "Maxwell has carved out a unique place for himself in experimental theater. . .paring down language and gesture so rigorously that his actors hardly seem to be acting."#151;Art in America Theater is the room where performance happens. Where people sit and watch other people. The moment to moment event that unfolds hinges on our imperfect-ness. . . . Theatre for Beginners is a manual for the actor based in the belief that the person is interesting before the performing happens, and the essence of good stage work is rooted in a constant state of beginning. Richard Maxwell, the downtown writer and director with a deadpan aesthetic and an ever-innovative body of work, has written a quasi-study guide to the art of making theater according to his "affecting affectless technique" (The New York Times). This illuminating volume will provide students and artists with a deeper understanding of Maxwell's work, aesthetic philosophy, and process for creating theater. Richard Maxwell is a playwright and director living in New York, where he is the artistic director of New York City Players. The recipient of an OBIE Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship, his plays have been performed throughout the world.