Eric Bentley was born in England in 1916 and became an American citizen in 1948. He has earned a reputation as a scholar, teacher, professional theatre critic, performer, and, last but not least, a playwright. In 1998, he was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame. Many of his books are now regarded as classic texts-The Playwright as Thinker (Harvest, 1987), The Life of the Drama (Applause, 1991), and Bentley on Brecht (Applause, 1999). Northwestern University Press has published other seminal works by Bentley, Including Rallying Cries (1977) and its companion volume Monstrous Martyrdoms (2004), Thinking about the Playwright (1987), The Plrandello Commentarles (1986), and his translation of Pirandello's Plays (1998).
