Joy Ride: Show People and Their Shows - Hardcover

National Book Award finalist John Lahr is the author of Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh, among other books. He was the senior drama critic of The New Yorker for over two decades. He has twice won the George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism and is the first critic ever to win a Tony Award (coauthor, Elaine Stritch at Liberty).

“[Lahr’s] interviews are themselves gleeful illuminations of art and its mysterious process, as he blends vivid details with erudite scrutiny of plays...His passionate arguments are always worth engaging...Lahr creates a book worthy of its title: It is a living celebration of theater itself.”
- Caryn James, New York Times Book Review

“Incisive, exuberant.... Lahr’s vivid reportage, trenchant insight, and infectious love of the stage will remind readers just how exciting modern theater can be.”
- Publishers Weekly

“Chatty, learned and wittily opinionated, Lahr’s essays bring us not only his passion for theater, but also his zest for the artistic and creative life.”
- San Francisco Chronicle

“An important collection.”
- Steven Suskin, Huffington Post

“An exuberant, entertaining collection.”
- Kirkus Reviews

“Lahr patiently mines the essence of his subjects―playwrights, directors―with the affection of a fan, the insight of a confidant and the authorial flair of an experienced critic...a delight to read.”
- The Economist

“John Lahr writes―beautifully―about the theatre and those who make it with an unrivalled blend of enthusiasm, perception, and analytical precision. This book is justly titled―his joy is irresistible.”
- Nicholas Hytner

“Informed, wide ranging, and charming...the pieces are, without exception, captivating. A must for theatergoers and theater collections.”
- Mark Levine, Booklist

“Lahr...must be one of the world’s foremost experts on “show people”....[he has] an ability to look past these authors’ mythologies without demeaning their achievements.”
- Jonathan Russell Clark, Literary Hub

“100 years from now this is where people will look to see what it was like back then. Bravo!”
- John Guare