
- 369 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF
About this book
By near-universal consensus, Stephen Sondheim was the greatest musical theater composer of his generation-celebrated, among other things, for the wit, sophistication, and intricacy of shows from West Side Story to Sunday in the Park with George. But a less well-known avenue for his brilliance was his lifelong fascination with designing and constructing intricate puzzles and games, from treasure hunts to crosswords to parlor and board games.
Matching Minds with Sondheim is a journey into this rich but largely unmapped aspect of the composer's creative life, illuminating how Sondheim's playful designs delivered moments of clarity and connection for friends, colleagues, and anyone who's ever been captivated by his genius. This book opens, for the first time, the door into what Sondheim called his "puzzler's mind," helping readers to better understand the man, his work, and-if they accept the challenge-themselves. Gaming expert Barry Joseph draws from over eighty years of Sondheim's activities, including extremely rare and never-publicly-seen puzzles and game designs, scores of original interviews with the celebrity friends who played them, archival deep dives, and illuminating analysis from both puzzle designers and theater professionals from around the world. Packed with illustrations and insights, this book does more than describe Sondheim's life in puzzles: It allows readers to match minds with the maestro by attempting to solve his puzzles and bring Sondheimian games into their own homes.
Matching Minds with Sondheim is a journey into this rich but largely unmapped aspect of the composer's creative life, illuminating how Sondheim's playful designs delivered moments of clarity and connection for friends, colleagues, and anyone who's ever been captivated by his genius. This book opens, for the first time, the door into what Sondheim called his "puzzler's mind," helping readers to better understand the man, his work, and-if they accept the challenge-themselves. Gaming expert Barry Joseph draws from over eighty years of Sondheim's activities, including extremely rare and never-publicly-seen puzzles and game designs, scores of original interviews with the celebrity friends who played them, archival deep dives, and illuminating analysis from both puzzle designers and theater professionals from around the world. Packed with illustrations and insights, this book does more than describe Sondheim's life in puzzles: It allows readers to match minds with the maestro by attempting to solve his puzzles and bring Sondheimian games into their own homes.
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Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access Matching Minds with Sondheim by Barry Joseph in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Media & Performing Arts & Theatre. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Title Page
- Untitled
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Foreword by Will Shortz
- Foreword by Ted Chapin
- Introduction
- Part I: Stephen Sondheim: A Ludological Biography
- Chapter 1: 1 Sondheim, at Play
- Chapter 2: 2 Sondheim, Treasure Hunt Designer
- Chapter 3: 3 Sondheim, Board Game Designer
- Chapter 4: 4 Sondheim, Word Puzzle Designer
- Chapter 5: 5 Physical Puzzles
- Epilogue: The Great Dispersal
- Part II: How to Play the Sondheim Way
- Chapter II: A. Sondheim’s Three Principles of Play
- Chapter II: B. Advice for Game Designers
- Chapter II: C. Twelve Tips for Clue Crafters
- Chapter II: D. Designing a Sondheimian Treasure Hunt
- Chapter II: E. Throwing a Sondheimian Games Night
- Chapter II: F. Tackling Sondheimian Cryptics
- Appendix Alpha: Sondheim Ludological Timeline
- Appendix Beta: Puzzles and Games in Sondheim Musicals
- Notes
- Acknowledgments
- Permissions
- Index