If he had done nothing more than write the book for the musicalsWest Side StoryandGypsy, Arthur Laurents would be assured a place in the pantheon of American theater. But he has done much more, including directing, screenwriting, and playwriting. Here, for the first time, is an anthology of seven of Laurents' most acclaimed and challenging plays. It begins withHome of the Brave, the play that launched Laurents' career. This wartime drama known for its frank treatment of anti-Semitism and war trauma remains as potent today as it was when it opened on Broadway in 1945. The anthology continues through some of Laurents' most recent work, including2 Lives, a witty, frequently poignant portrait of an elderly gay couple confronting mortality and coming to terms with their lives. Also included areThe Enclave,Jolson Sings Again,My Good Name,Closing Bell, andAttacks on the Heart. Spanning nearly 60 years and covering a wide variety of topical and emotional terrain, this is an important book from an American theater legend. Includes: •Home of the Brave • The Enclave • Jolson Sings Again • My Good Name • Closing Bell • 2 Lives, and • Attacks on the Heart • The first-ever anthology of plays by a giant of American theater • Each play features a new introduction by the author • Laurents' recent memoir was the most highly accliamed theater memoir in years • A revival ofGypsy, starring Bernadette Peters, is playing to sold-out audiences on Broadway • Author Laurents speaks widely on American theater, always to a packed house • Advertising inBack Stagemagazine

(Applause Books). Here is the original story of a true original, the celebrated and internationally renowned director, playwright and screenwriter Arthur Laurents, whose creative genius continues to energize American stage and screen today. Say his name, and images of West Side Story , Gypsy, Anastasia, The Turning Point , and The Way We Were appear. Laurents' highly praised memoir is a dazzling portrait of his life as he recounts the great moments, the trials and the joys of his incredible career. He takes us into his world, peopled with the creative artists, directors, actors and personalities who came of age in the theatre and in Hollywood after WWII. Later, back in New York, he writes about jump-starting Barbra Streisand's career by casting her in I Can Get It for You Wholesale . He writes about the creation of Gypsy with Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim. And he writes about coming together in a complex, fraught collaboration with his three old pals, Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein and Sondheim for West Side Story . Throughout, Laurents is funny, fierce, and frank a life recounted as richly as it was lived. "This is a historic work. A 'must' for show biz mavens." LIZ SMITH, Newsday & Syndicated