Act One

An Autobiography

By: Moss Hart

Narrated by: Jim Meskimen

Moss Hart's Act One, which Lincoln Center Theater presented in 2014 as a play written and directed by James Lapine, is one of the greatest American memoirs - a glorious memorial to a bygone age filled with all the wonder, drama, and heartbreak that surrounded Broadway in the early 20th century. Hart's story inspired a generation of theatergoers, dramatists, and readers everywhere as he eloquently chronicled his impoverished childhood and his long, determined struggle to reach the opening night of his first Broadway hit. Act One is the quintessential American success story.

©1959 Catharine Carlisle Hart and Joseph M. Hyman, trustees (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

A permanent favorite !

There are few books I consider favorites this will be one of them. Great telling of an incredible career from the ambitious beginning to first success. I felt like it was someone recounting events to me personally in a most sincere and inspiring dialogue. You could feel the joy with Moss Hart’s first success and understand what to took to achieve it.
This was a book club selection, wise domination. Five stars are not enough.

One of my favorite books

I learned about the the unbelievable process of creating a show …these theatre people are so driven and they face so many obstacles. Moss Hart tells a great story and the reader is enjoyable. I read this book years ago and it just gets better.

Are you a theatre person?

If you are, then this is the book for you. If you're NOT a theatre person but love an amazing tale about a climb out of poverty, this is the book for you, too.

I will admit I am old enough to remember many of the people mentioned in this book. It is a first hand account of a different time. I had read about this book, and I had heard people talk about it, but I had never read it, and Audible had it!

Fantastic!

Beautifully written - it feels like a play or a movie! Learned more about the theatre on this book than on my whole life prior to reading! Bravo!

A Love Letter to the Theater

I just finished one of my TBRs - Moss Hart's “Act One” is an engaging memoir that captured the spirit and struggles of the American theater in the early 20th century. Published in 1959, the book charts Hart’s rise from challenging beginnings in the Bronx to becoming a celebrated Broadway playwright. The book focuses on Hart's early life, his passion for the theater, and details the trials and tribulations of his first major success “Once in a Lifetime.”

Hart paints a nostalgic picture of his early years, filled with dreams of escaping his circumstances and making it big on Broadway. He was definitely a man of perseverance, as he faces numerous rejections and setbacks but never loses sight of his goal.

One of the most interesting aspects of “Act One” is Hart's reminiscences of his relationship with his mentor, George S. Kaufman. Kaufman, and Hart met and began collaboration on the play “Once in a Lifetime”. This relationship changed Hart's life, leading to his first Broadway success. The partnership of Kaufman & Hart led to eight projects in the following decade, arguably among both men’s best work including, “You Can’t Take it With You” and (my personal favorite) “The Man Who Came to Dinner”.

“Act One” is more than just a memoir; it's a love letter to the theater. But the memoir will resonate with anyone who has ever had a dream and worked against all odds to achieve it.

I think this book is a must-read for theater lovers and anyone interested in the art of storytelling.