In this first publication of six plays by the flamboyantly uninhibited author, poet, and playwright Mercedes de Acosta (1893 1968), theater historian Robert A. Schanke rescues these lost theatrical writings from the dusty margins of obscurity. Often autobiographical, always rife with gender struggle, and still decidedly stageworthy, "Women in Turmoil: Six Plays by Mercedes de Acosta" constitutes a significant find for the canon of gay and lesbian drama. In her 1960 autobiography "Here Lies the Heart, " de Acosta notes that as she was contemplating marriage to a man in 1920, she was "in a...
In this first publication of six plays by the flamboyantly uninhibited author, poet, and playwright Mercedes de Acosta (1893 1968), theater histor...
Once called "America's greatest actress," renowned for the passion and power of her performances, Clara Morris (1847-1925) has been largely forgotten." A Spectacle of Suffering: Clara Morris on the American Stage" is the first full-length study of the actress's importance as a feminist in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Detailing her daunting health problems and the changing tastes in entertainment that led to her retirement from the stage, Barbara Wallace Grossman explores Morris's dramatic reinvention as an author. During a second robust career, she published hundreds of...
Once called "America's greatest actress," renowned for the passion and power of her performances, Clara Morris (1847-1925) has been largely forgotten....
"Rediscovering Mordecai Gorelik "explores the life and work of the pioneering scene designer whose career spanned decades in American theatre. Anne Fletcher s insightful volume draws intriguing parallels and contrasts between Gorelik s productions and the theatrical movements of the twentieth century, exposing the indelible mark he left on the stage. Through in-depth analysis of his letters, diaries, designs, and theoretical works, Fletcher examines the ways in which Gorelik s productions can be used as a mirror to reflect the shifting dramatic landscapes of his times.Fletcher places Gorelik...
"Rediscovering Mordecai Gorelik "explores the life and work of the pioneering scene designer whose career spanned decades in American theatre. Anne Fl...
The Hanlons a family of six brothers from Manchester, England were one of the world s premiere performing troupes in the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, yet their legacy has been mostly forgotten. In "The Hanlon Brothers: From Daredevil Acrobatics to Spectacle Pantomime, 1833 1931," Mark Cosdon carefully documents the careers of this talented family and enumerates their many contributions to modern popular entertainment. As young men, the Hanlons stunned audiences all over the world with their daring acrobatic feats. After a tragic accident severely injured one brother (and...
The Hanlons a family of six brothers from Manchester, England were one of the world s premiere performing troupes in the mid-nineteenth and early twen...
Broadway producer Cheryl Crawford (1902 1986) declared in her 1977 autobiography, The theatre has been my life. Crawford was notoriously circumspect about her private life, and only now, with Milly S. Barranger s insightful biography, is her full story revealed.
A major Broadway producer in an era when women producers were exceedingly rare, Crawford found unprecedented success with the plays of Tennessee Williams, including "The Rose Tattoo "and "Sweet Bird of Youth," but her enduring legend is as a musical producer, having brought Kurt Weill s "One Touch of Venus, "Lerner and Loewe s...
Broadway producer Cheryl Crawford (1902 1986) declared in her 1977 autobiography, The theatre has been my life. Crawford was notoriously circumspec...
"American Political Plays after 9/11 "is a diverse collection of bold, urgent, and provocative plays that respond to the highly charged, post 9/11 political landscape. Sparked by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and subsequently fueled by a series of controversial events the Iraq war, the passing and enforcement of the U.S.A. Patriot Act, and the revelation of torture and other scandals at the Abu Ghraib prison American political theater is currently experiencing a surge in activity. The plays in this collection include "The Guys" by Anne Nelson, "At the Vanishing Point" by Naomi...
"American Political Plays after 9/11 "is a diverse collection of bold, urgent, and provocative plays that respond to the highly charged, post 9/11 pol...