John Kaufmann

Must-Read in Your Field

The Empty Space

By Peter Brook

Brook’s passionate writing challenges artists to trust that simple human storytelling can transform lives and the world. I saw Peter Brook’s Hamlet in Seattle years ago, and it was a joy to see his aesthetics in action.

Favorite Book to Teach

Indecent

By Paula Vogel

This is a new play that chronicles the theatrical journey of “God of Vengeance,” a 1907 play that featured Broadway’s first lesbian kiss. I look for new plays to explore with students in directing classes, and this play offered an abundance of history, theatrical gifts, and unique production challenges.

For Pure Enjoyment

A Wrinkle in Time

By Madeleine L’Engle

My 6-year-old daughter and I are reading A Wrinkle in Time out loud together. It’s been a joy to experience it through her eyes, stopping often to discuss words or fantastical concepts and characters.

Book that Change the Way You Think

A Director Prepares: Seven Essays on Art and Theatre

By Anne Bogart

I know this book changed the way I think because I have internalized so many of its ideas. I might be teaching an acting class or directing a play, and identify one of my core theatrical values. When I go back to Bogart’s writing, I am repeatedly reminded where these values first took root in me.