"Poignant, self-interrogative, deeply informed yet engagingly written, Claycombs In the Lurch might be my book of the year. Perhaps all the best books are written out of exactly the combination of love and frustration, hope and despair." -- The Year's Work in Critical and Cultural Theory, Hannah Simpson "Claycomb's analysis raises important questions about verbatim theatre's capacity to be political and skillfully examines how the current political context reshapes audience engagements with these types of practices. It is difficult to read In the Lurch without being impressed and somewhat moved by Claycomb's honest and heartfelt reflections the anguish of losing faith with theatre. There is something poignant and recognizable expressed in this sentiment that makes the book a refreshing and potent statement of our times." -- Amanda Stuart Fisher, Modern Drama "This expertly argued, self-reflective study wrestles with the question of verbatim and documentary theatre's efficacy against the backdrop of what Claycomb calls the "rightward lurch" of Western democracies. Yet this is not just a book about verbatim theatre's potentials and pitfalls; it also maps a cultural transformation over the past five decades and how changes in history have engendered changes in affective form." -- Megan Lewis, Theatre Journal "In the Lurch is a compelling prompt for these and other inquiries. It will be an invaluable resource in the classroom and for future research about documentary theatre, feminist scholarship, and democratic theory" * Jordana Cox, Theatre History Studies *
