Eric russell bentley sidney hook essay

Eric Russell Bentley (born September 14, 1916) is a British-born American theater critic, playwright, singer, editor, and translator. In 1998, he was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the New York Theater Hall of Fame, recognizing his many years of cabaret performances.

In 1968, he signed the Writers and Editors War Tax Protest pledge, vowing to refuse tax payments in protest against the Vietnam War. His play The Red, White, and Black was produced at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in 1971 in collaboration with the Columbia University School of the Arts Theatre Division.

Bentley attended Oxford University, receiving his degree in 1938. He subsequently attended Yale University ( B. Litt. in 1939 and PhD in 1941), where he received the John Addison Porter Prize. Bentley taught History and Drama during the 1942 summer session at Black Mountain College, as well as from 1943 to 1944.

Bentley became an American citizen in 1948 and had been living in New York City for many years at the time of his death. He turned 100 on September 14, 2016. Bentley died at his home in Manhattan on August 5, 2020, at the age of 103. He wrote numerous books of theatre criticism.