It is also a fascinating and essential chapter in the history of San Francisco itself, as well as the story of a committed theatre artist's determination and vision.'-Colm Toibin, author of Nora Webster Carey Perloff, Artistic Director of San Francisco's legendary American Conservatory Theater, pens a lively and revealing memoir of her twenty-plus years at the helm and delivers a provocative and impassioned manifesto for the role of live theater in today's technology-infused world.

The book exudes Perloff's trademark brio: smart, outspoken, full of fun and ferment.'-John Lahr, author of Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh 'This is an engaged, engaging, deeply intelligent, and passionate account of why the theatre matters and how it works in a city and in a society.

Beautiful Chaos is her vivacious account of her ambitious work commanding San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre (ACT). This one is for any person who has ever sat in the dark and been spellbound by the transformative power of theater.'-Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner 'Carey Perloff is a veteran of the regional theatre wars. It is as lively, thoughtful, and insightful an account I have ever read about the art form. This refreshingly honest account of her triumphs and misfires over the past two decades is both a fascinating read and an invaluable handbook for anyone attempting such a labor of love.'-Armistead Maupin, author of Tales of the City 'Carey Perloff's marvel of a book is part memoir of a working mother, a passionate artist, a woman flourishing in a male-dominated craft- and part lavish love letter to theater. This continues to shape and inspire Carey and those who work with her.'-Olympia Dukakis, Academy Award-winning actress 'Carey Perloff's lively, outspoken memoir of adventures in running and directing theatre will be a key document in the story of playmaking in America.'-Tom Stoppard, Playwright 'Carey Perloff, quite literally, raised a vibrant new theater from the rubble of an old one. Their continued evolution and ability to define and re-define themselves with courage, tenacity, and bravery allow them to confront what seem like insurmountable odds. 'Beautiful Chaos is an extraordinary journey of Carey Perloff and her theatre, ACT.

Beautiful Chaos by Carey Perloff