Nobel prizewinning playwright and screenwriter, considered by many to be the most important British playwright in the last century, Harold Pinter died on Christmas Eve. He was 78. His plays have had a remarkable impact on generations of audiences and actors. On the edges of absurdism, often dealing with atrocities committed by mean people, his dark "comedies of menace" have skewered the hypocrisies of authoritarian powerholders. He was outspoken in his criticism of real political figures; his controversial speech to accept the Nobel prize in 2005 lambasted those who met terrorism with harsh tactics that cause more.
The list of his important plays include The Birthday Party, The Homecoming, The Caretaker, The Dumbwaiter, Old Times, and Betrayal. He also wrote novels, poems, and articles and books about writing and about politics, and has had many books and articles written about him and his influence on modern theatre. [Pinter image from Gale Biography Resource Center accessible through Glendale Public Library Online Resources page.]
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