Best Revenge: How the Theater Saved My Life (and Has Been Killing Me Ever Since) by Stephen Fife
A middle-aged playwright -- in conflict with his ex-wife, his current girlfriend, and a legion of creditors -- journeys from Hollywood to Atlanta to work with his youthful idol, legendary avant-garde director Joseph Chaikin. Thus begins a roller coaster ride of a very unusual sort, combining personal revelations with theatrical obsessions, a step-by-step disclosure of a master director's rehearsal process with a search for spiritual truth (and a decent night's sleep). Just hop aboard and get a backstage pass to the 'holding-on-by-your-fingernails' reality of the contemporary American theatre.