Drinks Before Dinner Read online

  TO SAM COHN

  Acknowledgments

  For the original production of Drinks Before Dinner I was fortunate to have the association of Mike Nichols, director, who agitated consistently for a clarity of language and event, and in numerous ways contributed to my understanding of the play; Christopher Plummer, who brought his prodigious skills to the role of Edgar, and afforded me many crucial insights from the performer’s point of view; and Joe Papp, producer, who created an environment conducive to experimentation, and provided both support and criticism in generous amounts. To them and to all the members of the cast and crew, I am deeply indebted.

  BOOKS BY E. L. DOCTOROW

  NOVELS

  Welcome to Hard Times

  Big As Life

  The Book of Daniel

  Ragtime

  PLAY

  Drinks Before Dinner

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  E. L. DOCTOROW was born in New York and educated at Kenyon College and Columbia University. His novels include Welcome to Hard Times; The Book of Daniel, a National Book Award nominee; and Ragtime, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. Drinks Before Dinner was first performed at the New York Shakespeare Festival’s Public Theater in the fall of 1978.

  FROM E. L. DOCTOROW

  AMERICAN LITERARY MASTER

  ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD

  BILLY BATHGATE

  THE BOOK OF DANIEL

  CITY OF GOD

  CREATIONISTS

  DRINKS BEFORE DINNER

  HOMER & LANGLEY

  JACK LONDON, HEMINGWAY, AND THE CONSTITUTION

  LIVES OF THE POETS

  LOON LAKE

  THE MARCH

  RAGTIME

  SWEET LAND STORIES

  THE WATERWORKS

  WELCOME TO HARD TIMES

  WORLD’S FAIR

  And look for

  ANDREW’S BRAIN

  A radical trip into the mind of a man

  as he thinks about how to make

  sense of his life and times

  www.ELDoctorow.com

  Available wherever books are sold www.AtRandom.com