Alan Ayckbourn was a young actor when an accidental remark led him into the world of playwriting. During rehearsal, Ayckbourn complained about the role he was playing that day. Stephen Joseph, his mentor, threw down his script and said that if Alan wanted better roles, he should write them himself. Ayckbourn did just that. He penned The Square Cat, which had a successful run in Scarborough, England during the summer of 1959. Setting the playwright in context to his personal life, social, historical and political events, other writers of influence, and more, you will quickly gain a deep understanding of Alan Ayckbourn and the plays he wrote. Read Ayckbourn in an Hour and experience his plays like never before. Know the playwright, love the play!The book features:-Ayckbourn in an Hour, the main essay in the book-Ayckbourn In a Minute, a snapshot chronology-A complete listing of Ayckbourn¿s work-A list of Ayckbourn¿s contemporaries in all fields-Excerpts from Ayckbourn¿s major plays-An extensive bibliography grouped according to type of reader-An index of the main essay.Playwrights in an Hour is a series devoted to the most produced and studied playwrights in the English language, from the Greek Masters to comtemporary writers and written by leading authorities in the field. Each short book places the laywright and his or her work in historical, social, and literary context.E. Teresa Choate is an Associate Professor and Assistant Chair at the Department of Theatre in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Kean University in Union, New Jersey. She teaches theater history and dramatic literature, performance theory, dramaturgy, and script analysis, as well as period styles of acting. She is also a director who has mounted over seventy productions to date. She holds an alphabet soup¿s worth of degrees in theater: PhD (UCLA), MFA in directing (Catholic University of America), MA (Denver University). She is currently the President of Alpha Psi Omega, the National Honor Theatre Society for colleges and universities.Praise for Playwrights in an Hour Series,\"Each compact volume supplies enough essential information to enable even the most uninformed theatergoer to hold his or her own in a postshow discussion. This new series is highly recommended for theater students, playgoers, and professionals.\"--Library Journal\"These 27 books should be especially welcomed by actors and directors.\"--Stage Directions\"You will find great value in these attractive little volumes.\" --Robert Brustein, Founding Director of Yale and American Repertory Theaters