|
Eric Bentley, (September 14, 1916 -) born in Bolton, Lancashire, England, became an American citizen in 1948. He is a renowned critic, editor and translator. In l998 he was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the New York Theater Hall of Fame in recognition of his years of performances in cabarets.
He has written many plays and books, including A Century of Hero-Worship (1944), Lord Alfred's Lover, The Playwright as Thinker (1946), "Bernard Shaw" (1947), What is Theatre? (1956), The Life of the Drama (1964), The Importance of Scrutiny (1964), Theatre of War (1972), Brecht Commentaries (1981), Thinking about the Playwright (1987), and Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been.
He was a theatre critic for [[The New Republic]] in the 1950s and known for his blunt style of theatre criticism. An enraged Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller entertained the notion of suing Bentley for his unfavorable reviews of their work. They dropped the idea when they realized it was an unwinnable proposition.
Bentley met Bertolt Brecht at UCLA as a young man and is considered one of the pre-eminent experts of Brecht, whose work he has translated.
In the 1960s, Bentley came out of the closet and declared his homosexuality. He has stated his being gay as an influence on his theater-work, especially his play "Lord Alfred's Lover" about Oscar Wilde.
Bentley lives in New York City.
| 
