"... The play opens with Max and Charlotte, a couple whose marriage is on the verge of collapse. Charlotte, it is revealed, is actually an actress who is appearing in a play written by her husband, Henry. Max, who plays Charlotte's husband in the piece, is also married to an actress, Annie. Both marriage are at the point of rupture because Henry and Annie have fallen in love. But is it the real thing? Tom Stoppard combines his characteristic wordplay and wit with flashes of insight that illuminate the nature -- and mystery-- of love, creating an extraordinary theatrical exploration of marriage, fidelity, and creative life. "--Back cover.