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Description
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.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Will Shortz
Foreword by Ted Chapin
Introduction: The Time It All Began to Click
How Sondheim Explored Connection and Clarity
All That It Took to Research the Maestro
Notes on How to Select from This Book's Menu
Group One: Stephen Sondheim: A Ludological Biography
1. Sondheim, At Play
Sondheim, the Playmate
The Parlor Games of Sondheim's Creation
Exploring The Murder Game and Its Descendants
Puzzling Through the Last of Sheila Scenario
How Stephen Sondheim Became a Game Show Champion
2. Sondheim, Treasure Hunt Designer
Dakota Treasure Hunt's Puzzling Milieu
How Maria Came to Meet Sondheim, Treasure Hunt Designer
Eleanor Clark French, in Memoriam
Inside the City Center Treasure Hunt Design Studio
Memories of Hunts from a Night on Broadway to a Night at the Museum
Yes! It's Game Time
Observing Treasure Hunt Re-enactors to Learn the City Center Solution
3. Sondheim, Board Game Designer
The Road Not Taken (One Not in Music)
Sondheim's Board Game Juvenilia, in Detail
On Gamifying the Economics of Broadway and the Campiness of Cinema
For Lenny, a Board Game Trilogy, with Love and Humor
4. Sondheim, Word Puzzle Designer
Introducing Cryptic Crosswords and How They Are Solved
The Ximenes Puzzle Dinner at the Cafe Royale, a Night Electric
Years Ago, Sondheim Wrote Cryptics with Gusto
A Passion for Cryptics Passed to the Next Generation
Noted For Its Impact, Sondheim's Cryptic Legacy Lives On
5. Physical Puzzles
Exploring Jigsaws and Their Puzzling Appeal
Company's Cancellation, Opening Night Gifts, and the Surprise of Etai
The Devious Jigsaw Designs of Stave, Sondheim's Fav
Invoking “Order Out of Chaos” to Argue that God Is in the Game
Opening Puzzle Boxes, a Tricky Scenario
Navigating Sondheim's Immersion in Escape Room Fun
Epilogue: The Great Dispersal
Group A: How to Play the Sondheim Way
A. Sondheim's Three Principles of Play
B. Advice for Game Designers
C. Twelve Tips for Clue Crafters
D. Designing a Sondheimian Treasure Hunt
E. Throwing a Sondheimian Games Night
F. Tackling Sondheimian Cryptics
Appendix Alpha: Sondheim Ludological Timeline
Appendix Beta: Puzzles and Games in Sondheim Musicals
Acknowledgements
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Product details
| Published | Sep 18 2025 |
|---|---|
| Format | Ebook (Epub & Mobi) |
| Edition | 1st |
| Extent | 368 |
| ISBN | 9781493085842 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Academic |
| Illustrations | 96 BW Illustrations |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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