William Goldman alluded to this book in The Season though he didn't name names - he quoted the comment about all English directors being called Peter and the quote that the author had never read an Ibsen play. It was a little mean.
This is an entertaining book. I had a lot of fun reading it. Resnick decided to write a play after the failure of her last novel, feeling that it at least would get reviewed. She joins the Group Theatre writers workshop of Molly Kazan, writes something that she is told will be sellable (part for a star, one set, small cast)... pitches it to Greer Garson who turns it down, but it gets optioned quite quickly, money is raised quite quickly.
But then the troubles start. There's never enough money so more producers have to be brought in. They have troubles getting directors then when they geet them have trouble keeping them. George Morrison for instance keeps wanting changes and things added, and slows the play down. They keep getting people as they go before eventually getting Henry Kaplan.
They get a cast, after a lot of rejection but have trouble holding on to it. Sandy Dennis doesn't want Gene Hackman because he's not hot enough so they get Dick York who quits so they get Gene Hackman who does so well that Michael Rennie, the big star attached, gets jealous and quits so they bring in Don Porter.
There are nice reviews but a bad one from Eliot Norton makes everyone panic. They have trouble getting a theatre. Trouble with balloons the author wrote in. Mike Nichols pops in periodically and assures her it's fine but people still panic. Opening night goes terrifically well, the piee runs and runs and sells for a huge amount to the movies.
Triumph. Although exhausted.
Resnick lists the short runs of the next shows her cast and crew did which is a little mean, as it the appendix of all the people who turned down the play, but I guess she's entitled to.
This is like a season arc of Mrs Maisel where she wrote a play. She gets married to some dude during it too. I really enjoyed it.
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