9780062099723
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Drama audiobook

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Drama Audiobook Summary

“A memoir as finely crafted as one of Lithgow’s performances.”
–Steve Martin

Emmy Award-winner John Lithgow presents a charming, witty, and revealing memoir about his family, his work, and his life in Drama–an intimate story of insights and inspirational reflections from one of America’s most beloved actors. Lithgow pays tribute to his father, his greatest influence, and relives his collaborations with renowned performers and directors including Mike Nichols, Bob Fosse, Liv Ullmann, Meryl Streep, and Brian De Palma. A compelling reflection on the trials, triumphs, and changes across his long career, Lithgow’s Drama illuminates the inner life of a celebrated talent, and points the way forward for anyone aspiring to greatness in their own life.

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Drama Audiobook Narrator

John Lithgow is the narrator of Drama audiobook that was written by John Lithgow

John Lithgow is an award-winning actor who has starred on stage, film, and television. A New York Times bestselling author of eight books for children, he lives in New York and Los Angeles.

About the Author(s) of Drama

John Lithgow is the author of Drama

Drama Full Details

Narrator John Lithgow
Length 10 hours 18 minutes
Author John Lithgow
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date September 27, 2011
ISBN 9780062099723

Subjects

The publisher of the Drama is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Biography & Autobiography, Entertainment & Performing Arts

Additional info

The publisher of the Drama is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062099723.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Jim

April 30, 2018

John Lithgow is one of the best human beings I have ever met. Turns out he is also a superb writer. This autobiography covers his career primarily up to about 1980, which leaves me in hopes that there will be a follow-up volume. He writes passionately about his love of theater and his upbringing in it. There is much for the novice actor to learn in these pages and I recommend it highly. Lithgow does not spare himself when describing his failings and he admits justifiable pride in his successes. For anyone who loves the theater, this is a wonderful read by a wonderful man.

Jim

January 30, 2013

If I knew anything about acting or plays, I might give this 5 stars. Maybe I should anyway since I have no interest in either & yet really enjoyed this autobiography that is full of both. How did he do that?!!! Part of it was his voice. It's great for an audio book, but mostly Lithgow was amazingly honest - not brutally, though. There wasn't anything shocking or particularly horrible, just a pretty typical man who didn't always measure up to his own standards, but still managed to make a good, successful life for himself. I wondered if he'd had therapy since there were some great self-insights. He did mention some, but he didn't use this to excuse anything, just told it like he thought it was & why.How it was was pretty interesting. With a father who was in the theater, he went into it too, but went on to become quite a success. It wasn't easy. In fact, it was horrifyingly difficult to make a living as an actor. I had no idea there were so many theater groups tossed together the way he describes. His several meetings with Meryl Streep, a short segment toward the end, was very well done. I played it for my wife, too. Anyway, it was fantastic.Thanks for turning me on to it, Joy!

Glee

January 10, 2012

I have always been intrigued by John Lithgow, but I truly was amazed at his versatility when I heard some of his performances of children's songs that he wrote. I grew up in a small town with one big celebrity - Pete Seeger, who is a master musical storyteller. John Lithgow can match him stride for stride with the songs he has performed/written for children. Anyway, I was curious when I saw this at the library, and I had been sort of casting about for something on CD to play in the car and I saw this.Well, I cried during the introduction. One of the most touching "bits" I've ever heard. I'm not a real theater person, but I have seen my share of plays and musicals (and wallowed in Rogers and Hammerstein stuff as a kid with my four sisters - prancing and dancing around in the living room to my dad's occaisional bellow "this ain't a goddamn gymnasium"). And I've been impressed with Lithgow since I saw him as Roberta Muldoon in "The World According to Garp" in the early 80's.This is just a marvelous telling of a remarkable life and how that life was shaped by many things, but most importantly, his father, Arthur Lithgow.I really recommend listening to this (it is probably a good read, also, but I can't imagine it being any better than as read by the author). You won't be sorry.

Book Him Danno

November 03, 2011

Every time I see John Lithgow in a real situation, like an interview or game show, I never fail to come away impressed about how genuinely nice he seems. That is why I was very excited to get this autobiography as soon as possible. So I went into this a little biased too really like this and I can say it met all my expectations.This book should be handed out to every aspiring teenager who sees all the glittering lights and want s to be an actor. It will completely dispel the myth of overnight success and show you the hard work and time required to have a chance at your dream. More than that, it clearly demonstrates the amount of love you must have to every aspect of your profession.John Lithgow was a stage rat since he was a little boy working on his father’s productions. He grew up working backstage, building sets, making costumes, and being an all around dog’s body. Then as he grew up he began with nonspeaking parts and eventually having a few lines. Lithgow delights with a series of stories from his life that lead you through his progression as an actor.He covers both the proud and the shameful with equal honesty. From his Tony award to his infidelity, in the end you come away liking him all the more. What sticks with me is the new respect I have for any successful actor and who manages to stay a nice person. Acting is a profession and it is hard work. It sort of justifies my dislike for reality stars who try to skip all the education (as Lithgow puts it) and just be famous for nothing; or failing that, a sex tape.What you won’t find in this book is gossip and lurid tales of all the people Lithgow has met or worked with. This is definitely not a glorified tabloid.

Joy H.

October 20, 2013

_Drama: An Actor's Education_ (2011)by John LithgowAdded 9/30/11I first heard about this book from the New York Times Books Update, 9/30/11.The NY Times review is at:http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/02/boo...It says: "_Drama_ is a buoyant, heartwarming account of coming into one’s own."It also says: "Lithgow ... is relentlessly likable."I agree. I'm looking forward to reading this book. Edit 1/22/13 :I am currently listening to an audio version of this book, read by the author himself! WONDERFUL! Lithgow is gifted with words!I had tried to read the book back in November, 2011, when it was new, but it was due back at the library. So I couldn't finish it. That was a good thing because now, as a solution, I'm enjoying the audio-version so much more than I would have the book, because I'm listening to Lithgow himself. "Sweet are the uses of adversity." (Lithgow refers to this Shakespeare quote in his book. So true!) Edit 2/19/13 :I finished listening to this audio-book a few weeks ago. It was great! Lithgow's writing is wonderful. He's a great wordsmith. He writes with great style and has a lot of interesting things to say about his life and about the performance-world. His charismatic personality shines through the entire book. He's sort of self-deprecating, being honest about his downs as well as his ups.

N.N.

July 04, 2018

I've been a fan of John Lithgow for quite awhile and I thought I knew him. But in this memoir, he reveals how his father influenced all facets of his life, including acting. Witty, honest and addictive to read, Drama: An Actor's Education is a must read!My Rating: 5 stars

Lynn

January 17, 2020

John Lithgow was born in my city, Rochester, NY. His father ran various regional theaters throughout the Northeast as opportunities waxed and waned. His mother often worked as a teacher and was the real breadwinner of the family. John acted, danced and sang in multiple theatrical productions. He attended Harvard College and worked hard in the theater department. He says he didn’t do much work but his grades were good and graduated Summa cume laude. He married a local teacher 16 years older than he was and traveled around acting in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. They had two children, one died. After an affair with Liv Ullmann, the marriage broke up. A year later he married his current wife. The major focus of his book is his experience in acting so that is the story he tells. It’s very good and has some interesting and funny antidotes in it. I liked that he says that Terms of Endearment was a film that seemed a disaster to make and one that would barely see the light of day but turned out to be the best film he’s ever made. It’s one of my favorites too. Great book. Narrated by himself.

Barry

July 18, 2019

In his first memoir actor/director and now writer John Lithgow, recalls his early life and the events which led him to becoming and thriving as an actor: his early experiences in his father's theater companies, his Fullbright grant to study acting in England and his early work in theatre and film. He also discusses his late-blooming adolescence, its resulting affair, and the disastrous effect it had on his first marriage. A well-written first-stage memoir. I look forward to another volume of him discussing his mature work and life. - BH.

Don

September 11, 2022

Always enjoy autobiographies read by the author and this book by Lithgow does not fail to entertain and enlighten.

Doug

May 05, 2018

I suppose one might compare this memoir to a fine cigar. You fire it up and you're not sure immediately where it's going flavor-wise. Eventually it settles down and hopefully gets mellow, not bitter.I enjoyed this (Lithgow's Drama: An Actor's Education) though I might have enjoyed it more if I were a psychiatrist and could have real insight into Lithgow's pathologies. Being of his generation (we might have even passed each other by on the Princeton campus, where I use to go to party with my betters in 1969), I've been aware of him and his work for a long time. But the thing is, I sort of avoided most of his stuff, because, in his early days (including early movies) he frankly gave me the creeps. Dressing in drag (Garp) or brutally murdering women (Blow Out) or just being stone cold brutal in a few flicks, his strangeness and coldbloodedness was just too...creepy.So, after I see he has a sense of humor (3rd Rock) and can play something other than strange or brutal it was with renewed interest that I rechecked his work and dove into Drama. The book (I got the audio version, because with an actor or comedian it adds a lot to hear the author read their own work) goes a long way toward giving a picture of a guy from a fairly elite background, privileged by dint of his father's somewhat exalted place in the theater world as he grew up, later acting in decidedly sophisticated works (Royal Shakespeare Company, et al), who starts scraping bottom (unemployed for a good stretch -- though still living in NYC's Upper West Side; yeah -- problems of the well-off), gets a bit anti-establishment (WBAI), and finally finds his niche in Hollywood.So good for him, and judging by his work, good for us -- Lithgow is a dependable and eminently watchable actor. Sure, he comes off a bit snobby, which he honestly admits to; he may be over-analytical here and there; and he could have easily infused his story with more humor. But he also comes off as very genuine, thoughtful and kind, though reading between the lines -- or listening between the words -- he seems to dole the kindness out rather conservatively. He is also unafraid to look back at his mistakes and face the realities of temporary failures (the draft dodging...occasionally treating others a bit shabbily...his fecklessness during his first marriage...cluelessness re finances), while also examining the nature of his relationship with his father, which for writers and actors has always been and will always be one of the great themes.Needless to say, Olivier never did a sitcom on the order of Third Rock, nor offered a soliloquy from Harry and the Hendersons. And his Twilight Zone appearance? Pure pulp. So how did this snobby Shakespearean wind up doing such lowbrow stuff? Sure, it was a paycheck. But otherwise there's no real answer here. For this reason, Lithgow, who puts so much on the line and reveals himself unabashedly in Drama comes off as an enigma. And the thing about enigmas -- they're always interesting; at least to me. But I wonder what Lithgow's father would have thought of some of the "entertainments" his boy found himself in.

Donald

August 14, 2011

I had the good luck of seeing John Lithgow give a reading from his memoir, Drama: An Actor's Education, at Book Expo 2011. Lithgow is a likable, popular performer, and the event was packed. He gave a great reading that I really enjoyed. I didn't stick around afterward to get a signed copy of the book (and regretted it later). When it showed up on my Amazon Vine list (Amazon's invitation-only review program) I grabbed it right away. I'm glad I did.Lithgow's writing is clean, revealing, honest, and engaging. The bulk of this book covers his early years as a student of theater (his father was a theater director). It's a wonder Lithgow decided to become an actor after witnessing firsthand the hardships his father had to endure--the constant uprooting, insecurity, money concerns--but really, he had no other choice; this was the life he was born into. Lithgow spends a lot of time chronicling these early days of his childhood, the plays that he helped out on (mostly as a stagehand, then slowly but surely easing in as an actor), and his relationship with his father, Arthur. Lithgow's father was an eccentric character, and the (literal) cast of characters that made up Arthur's repertory theater gave me a peek into a world I'd never known. At times Litgow's early life reads like a John Irving novel, which is fitting since Irving actually wrote a blurb for the book. The second half of the book deals with Lithgow striking out on his own, away from the warm embrace of his father's theater group (and the sure work John would've gotten there). Instead he and his first wife head to New York, and the competitive Broadway and commercial scene that awaits them. Here, despite his experience, it is hard to find work, and the young couple struggle to make ends meet. Of course the reader knows it all works out in the end, but it is fascinating to see all the steps along the way, as told to us by Lithgow's funny, friendly voice.Drama: An Actor's Education covers up to 1980, when Lithgow successfully made the transition from Broadway stage actor to Hollywood TV and film star. There is just a quick summation of what came after, which opens the door to (hopefully) a second memoir. I look forward to reading it!

Paula

May 03, 2018

Since I have been a long-time fan, I was excited to find this title while--of course!--looking for something else. I'm so glad I was on a search that day, because I found treasure!At the heart of his biographical journey to stardom is Lithgow's deep and abiding love for the father he idolized but didn't entirely understand. Like many of us, he found the mystery of his parents' lives uninteresting and not worthy of exploration until he reached adulthood. Like many of us, the questions that occurred to him didn't come to mind until it was too late to ask them. He reached that point in life when one looks back and asks, "How did I miss that?"It's refreshing to read a biography by someone who is as honest about his failings as he is about his triumphs, and there were plenty of both to share. Lithgow was generous in his praise of the many people who interacted with him throughout the years. Endearingly, to me at least, when he couldn't offer praise, he graciously changed the names of those he'd found less than perfect, in order to spare them any discomfort. He was not as easy on himself; discomfort or not, he admitted to various occasions when he fell short of prefection, whether by accident or on purpose, and accepts responsibility for the outcomes. That's big. The hardships, the lucky breaks, the hard work and the many "right place, right time" stories found in this cleverly written tome makes it well worth the read. The obvious love for family is sweet, sweet icing on the cake.Grab a copy. Enjoy.

Anthony

January 19, 2012

The John Lithgow we meet in DRAMA is pretty much the person I expected to meet. He comes across as experienced, proud of what he's accomplished, but not an egotist. He is honest about his own faults (especially as a husband during the first height of his career as a stage actor, and about how he didn't really understand the film industry at that point). He's open about his struggles as a child and teen (constantly being the new kid in town thanks to his father's various producing and directing adventures). The chapters stick basically to chronological order, and each one is short and to a point. Lithgow doesn't aimlessly wander across his own landscape and he doesn't pad the text needlessly. We get the details (physical and emotional) that we need to understand his journey, but we don't get more than we need. And for all the talk that he "kisses and tells," really he only discusses in detail one of the extra-marital affairs (out of the many he had) and that one is only discussed because it's the one that finally ended his first marriage. What he does share a lot of are joyous (and some not-so-joyous) stories of learning his craft everywhere from Princeton NJ to Harvard to London to Broadway.The book ends after Lithgow's second marriage is firmly established. He glosses over most of the second act of his career, so there's the possibility of another memoir down the road. I'll gladly read it.

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