Dumbocracy in America: Studies in the Theatre of Guilt, 1987-1994

Other drama critics have opinions; Brustein has a point of view about the theater. Readers of his reviews in the New Republic, from which most of this collection is drawn, and of such books as Reimagining American Theatre know that he prefers the classics and challenging, avant-garde productions to the realistic, generally domestic American drama he terms ``the theatre of guilt,'' and that he is a vehement defender of high art against what he sees as the encroachments of popular culture, political correctness and multiculturalism. These basic tenets are laid out in the book's first section, ``Positions,'' which has a slightly hysterical tone (most notably in the title essay) that may well alienate those not in perfect agreement with Brustein's unabashedly elitist position. The reviews collected in ``Performances,'' however, reveal that whatever one thinks of his premises, the mere fact that Brustein has a coherent set of ideas about what theater should be makes him a passionate and perceptive critic. Recent plays like George C. Wolfe's Jelly's Last Jam and Edward Albee's Three Tall Women come to life in his vivid descriptions, and he is open-minded enough to see merit in works like Tony Kushner's Angels in America, with whose political stance he is not in sympathy. The closing section, ``Profiles,'' highlights his less combative side in portraits of people he admires, including Joe Papp and Lionel Trilling. All the essays, good and bad, are never less than provocative and interesting. (Oct.)