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Wallace Shawn

In conversation with Steven Winn

Thursday, October 15 , 2009  |  Herbst Theatre, 8pm

Wallace Shawn is beloved for his comedic roles as a film and stage actor and revered for his exploration of difficult, often controversial themes as a playwright. From his role as the evil Vizzini in The Princess Bride to the OBIE-winning play Our Late Night And A Thought In Three Parts, Shawn has made his name in a world of make-believe. Shawn is also known for his memorable film role in My Dinner with Andre, which also stars his frequent collaborator Andre Gregory. But in Essays, his recent book, Shawn makes a sojourn outside his usual creative mode. His best-known plays include Aunt Dan and Lemon, Marie and Bruce, The Designated Mourner, and The Fever, and have been widely produced in New York and at the Royal Court Theatre in London. His forthcoming book, Essays, is a collection of non-fiction that looks at high art, war, culture, politics, and privilege from Shawn's personal perspective. "Every once in a while," he says, "I like to take a break from fantasy land, and I go off to the place called Reality for a brief vacation. … I've looked at the world from my own point of view, and I've written these essays." That modest voice is the same Michael Moore calls, in praise of Essays, "a gentle and incisive soul willing to say what others may be afraid to."

Steven Winn is a freelance writer and critic who spent 28 years at the San Francisco Chronicle, the last six as the paper's Arts and Culture Critic. His work has appeared in Art News, California, Good Housekeeping, Parenting, Prairie Schooner, Sports Illustrated and others. His memoir, Come Back, Como: Winning the Heart of a Reluctant Dog, is published by Harper.

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