David Mamet and American Macho

Arthur Holmberg is Associate Professor of Dramatic Literature, Theatre History, and Performance Theory at Brandeis University, and is the Literary Director of the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard. He was the US editor for The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre, and he has also edited The Lively ART: Reflections on Twenty Years of the American Repertory Theatre. He is the author of The Theatre of Robert Wilson. His articles on theatre, film and music have appeared in many publications including the New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Washington Post and Modern Drama. Holmberg served as resident dramaturg at the ART, where he worked with artists including Robert Wilson, Philip Glass and David Mamet.

'Holmberg uncovers Mamet's complex approach to American masculinity, revealing how the playwright celebrates men but also critiques the structures by which they define their identities. He offers a comprehensive discussion of masculinity across Mamet's work, from the earliest plays to the latest dramas, from the lowliest one-act play to the blockbuster film screenplay, including unpublished works such as his screenplay of a James Fenimore Cooper novel.' D. E. Magill, Choice

• Introduction; 1. Enter the cowboy; 2. Mamet and American macho; 3. Mothers and masculinity; 4. Act like a man: the boy culture; 5. Mamet's pants; Bibliography.