La Bête: And, Wrong MountainGrove Press, 2001 - 312 pages David Hirson's La Bete and Wrong Mountain are widely regarded as two of the most controversial and original American plays produced on Broadway in the past decade. Critics have compared Hirson, who is known as a rebel, to Joe Orton, Tom Stoppard, John Osborne, Charles Ludlam, Maxwell Anderson, and even Prokofiev. Written in rhyming iambic-pentameter couplets, La Bete recounts the arrival of a vulgar street performer, Valere, into an elite company of veteran actors. The battles between Elomire, the troupe's leader, and Valere provides the basis for an antic comedy questioning the divide between art and entertainment. Popular acclaim eludes Wrong Mountain's protagonist, Henry Dennett, an aging poet, until he makes a bet with a successful playwright, Guy Halperin, that he can write a play and have it produced. Dennett triumphs, but he is left wondering whether he has spent his entire life climbing the "wrong mountain." "David Hirson is a gutsy, loopy, genuinely original writer who revels in extremes of intellectual virtuosity and pop-culture savvy." -- Linda Winer, Newsday |
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Common terms and phrases
Actors ADAM aesthetic Anne applaud ARIEL artist audience Audio begins BEJART Bête and Wrong Biblia Pauperum Blue Boys from Cadiz BRIE Broadway CATHERINE character Cheyenne CLAIRE CLIFF crap critics Daddy David Hirson Dennett stares Dennett's face Dorine shakes Duncan ELOMIRE ELOMIRE BEJART Elomire's exits eyes feel fool Guy Halperin hand hear Henry Dennett identity Ilana Levine Jason JESSICA John Ashbery John Michael Higgins Kiki Kumbalini La Bête LEIBOWITZ Lithia Fountain Lithia water look lord MADELEINE MARQUISE-THERESE Maurice Maurice's mean MERISTORELEAN MIRANDA mirror Monsieur Valere Montesor never nods Parable PARC Pause Peter play's playwright poem poet pornographer Prince Conti SALOME scene scepter seems sense shakes her head silence sound speak stage Stuart Ostrow success suddenly talent tell Thank theatre there's thought troupe true truth turns VALERE Valere's voice W. H. Auden What's wildebeest Winny words writing Wrong Mountain York production