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NEWSLETTER OF THE THEATRE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION Volume 23, No. 1 Summer 1995 GEORGE FREEDLEY/THEATRE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION BOOK AWARDS On Wednesday, May 31, the Theatre Library Association held the George Freedley-TLA Awards ceremony at Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts in the Bruno Walter Auditorium. Two critics, a film director and an actress presented awards to authors of outstanding books on Theatre, Film, and Television. The winners were Richard Abel, Neal Gabler, Faye E. Dudden and Simon Trussler. Michael Musto, writer for the Wage Voice and "gossip guru," presented the first award, the Theatre Library Association's honorable mention, to Neal Gabler's book WncheZZ: Gossip, Power and the Culture of Celebrity Faye E. Dudden, Estelle Parsons (Knopf). Accepting the award on behalf of Neal Gabler was Gary Stevens. Stevens read Gabler's remarks which was good, and he wasn't afraid to Trussler for his book Cambridge thanked the Theater Library Association pronounce his opinion." Illustrated History of British Theatre. and acknowledged the New York Public Barnes began by saying that people Library at Lincoln Center where most of Thierry PathC, NYU professor and often ask "How do you remember all the research for the Winchell book had director of documentaries for theatre that stuff?" "Well" he said "we don't. We been done. Gabler mentioned his and television, presented the 1994 TLA use reference books." He'went on to say special kinship with TLA for its support Award for outstanding Film book to that there aren't many books that of his book An Empire of Their Own: Richard Abel for The Cine Goes to illustrate world theatre history. How the Jews Invented Hollywood Town: French Cinema, 1896-1914 Accepting the award for Trussler was (Crown), the winner of the 1988 Theatre (University of California Press). His Peter-John Leone from Cambridge Library Association Award for most award was accepted by Eileen Bowser, University Press. He said that Simon outstanding film book of the year. In former film curator at The Museum of Trussler was deeply honored and that accepting the award, Gary Stevens, a Modern Art. She thanked TLA and "we at Cambridge would like to thank press agent who knew Winchell, said she was honored to accept the the jury for their kind recognition." remembered the man who invented award on behalf of Richard Abel. gossip: "he was electric; he knew in a The last presenter of the evening was few seconds whether or not something Clive Barnes presented the George Estelle Parsons who began her career as Freedley honorable mention to Simon a production assistant on the "Today" Volume 23, No. 1 Summer 1995 4 show, and made her Broadway debut in Happy Hunting. Along with her many theater credits, Parsons also won an Oscar for portraying Blanche in BONNIE AND CLYDE. She now is more popularly known as Roseanne's mother and Shelley Winter's daughter. Estelle Parsons presented the George Freedley award for the best Theatre book of 1994 to Faye E. Dudden for Women and The American Theatre, 1790-1870 (Yale University Press). Parsons said she enjoyed the book because it was one of the few times she had a chance to read something good. She also went on to say that there was a lot in the book about women who played men's roles as women. That is, they got dressed up in men's costumes but the audience still knew they were Freedley winner, Faye E. Dudden and Book Awards chairman, Steve Vallillo women. It was very popular because it gave men a chance to see women in something more revealing than a dress. College), Richard Wall (Queens (Simon & Schuster/Macmillan), 1995. College), and Don B. Wilmeth (Brown $35.00, cloth. ISBN 0028708326. Accepting the award was the author University). The TLA jurors were Faye E. Dudden She said that "history Barbara Stratyner (The New York Jonson, Ben. The Alchemist and other tells us something about the present. Public Library for the Performing plays. New York: Oxford University, Looking at theatre is very important to Arts), Steven Higgins (The Museum of 1995. $7.95, paper. ISBN 0192822527. understanding the past. I'm not a Modern Art) and James Poteat (former (World's Classics) theatre person, I'm really just a TLA president). The Awards historian." Therefore, she was doubly chairperson was Stephen M. Vallillo (St. McTeague, James H. Playwrights and honored to have her work recognized by John's University). --Michael Acting: Acting Methodologies for Brecht, theatre historians and librarians. She Cunningham Ionesco, Pinter, and Shepard. Westport, went on to say that she wrote the book CT: Greenwood Press, 1994. $49.95, for historians but surprisingly the people BOOKS RECEIVED cloth. ISBN 0313289751. [Contributions who have liked the book have been in Drama and Theatre Studies, ISSN theatre people. Dudden thanked her Darling, Jean. A Peek at the Past. 01633821, no. 591. husband for being so patient and the Jiigesheim, Germany: Hamling, 1995. Theatre .Collection at Lincoln Center Distributed by Aunty Poppy Ltd., 294 Malamud, Randy. mere the Words are where she did much of her research. South Cirular Road, Dublin 8, Eire. IR Valid: T.S. Eliot's Contmunities of She urged everyone to support the f ll/DM25/U.S. $18, paper. Drama. Westport, CT: Greenwood, National Endowment for the [Autobiography of child star of "Our 1994. $49.95, cloth. ISBN 0313278180. Humanities, which gave her the funding Gang" comedies.] [Contributions in Drama and Theatre for this project. She said if it wasn't for Studies, ISSN 01633821, no. 581. the funds from the NEH the book Ganzl, Kurt. Ganzl's Book of the would not have been possible. Broadway Musical: 75 Favorite Shows Pereira, Kim. August Wsort and the from H.M.S. Pinafore to Sunset African-American Odyssey. Urbana and The jurors for the George Freedley Boulevard. New York: Schirmer Books Chicago: University of Illinois, 1995. Award were James Fisher (Wabash Volume 23, No. 1 Summer 1995 2 $29.95, cloth. ISBN 0252021371. [Also, persona of the clown has influenced the clown's clash with oppression. This $12.95, paper. ISBN 0252064291.1 (and been influenced by) art and politics link helps him to establish the significant in such diverse regions as Bali, thematic similarities among these artists. Playwright versus Director: Authorial Lithuania, South Africa, Italy, Japan and As chapters explore the political satires Intentions and Performance the U.S. Immersing himself in each produced by the Vilnius State Theatre, Interpretations, edited by Jeane Luere. particular culture, Jenkins (who is or the "terrifying" comedies of Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1994. trained as a clown himself) provides the Johannesburg's Prince Dubu in South $55.00, cloth. ISBN 0313286795. closest thing to an insider's view while Africa, or Japan's Taishu engeki, or [Contributions in Drama and Theatre illuminating the complicated nature of America's Bread and Puppet Theatre, Studies, ISSN 01633821, no. 541. the comic tradition. or, in the strongest chapter, Italy's Dario Fo and Franca Rame, Jenkins persuades A Singular Elegance: The Photographs In his first chapter, "Urban Slapstick and the reader that the clown can give of Baron Adolph de Meyer. [Published Survival," Jenkins traces the origins of "audiences common ground for laughter in conjunction with an exhibition the postmodern clown to Charlie and free them from the isolation that organized by The International Center Chaplin, the first comic genius of the pervades so much of modern life." of Photography, New York, 10 Dec. twentieth century. Weaving Chaplin's (p.208) 1994-12 Feb. 19951. San Francisco: screen art together with his politics, Chronicle Books, 1994. Price na., cloth. Jenkins describes a performer driven to Subversive Laughter is lucid, well-argued, ISBN 0811808300. comment on the ills of the society within and often compelling; the reader is which he operates. Chaplin believed consistently aware of the precariousness Whitmore, Jon. William Saroyan: A that "Ridicule is an attitude of defiance. of the lives of those who must play the Research and Production Sourcebook. We must laugh at our helplessness clown (and of Jenkins himself, whose Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1994. against the forces of nature or go own awareness of potential violence is $69.50, cloth. ISBN 0313292507. insane." (p.3) Jenkins believes that always present). In "America's Comedy [Modern Dramatists Research and Chaplin's on-screen assault on all forms of Detachment," the book's capstone Production Sourcebooks, ISSN of authority, mixed with his criticism of chapter, Jenkins concludes that the 1055999X, no. 61. social injustice off-screen, reveals his "through line that connects all these true theatrical persona. This merger of comic traditions goes beyond Chaplin's character and actor is necessary for 'attitude of defiance' to a deeper BOOK REVIEW Chaplin to emerge as the subversive function of humor that can turn an national court jester Jenkins describes. audience of individuals into a Subversive Laughter. The Liberating community ...the things that strike us as Power of Comedy, by Ron Jenkins. Jenkins's images of contemporary funny have the power to set us free." (p. (New York: Free Press, 1994. ISBN O- clowns leads him to test his theory that 208) What more could be asked from 02-916405-2) "Popular comedy can be a call for any theatrical form? Jenkins perseverance in the face of tyranny, convincingly illuminates the universality Ron Jenkins offers an insightful account death and oppression ... For an audience and timelessness of the subversive of several of the most elusive with its back against the wall a clown is clown.-James Fisher (Wabash College) politically-inspired clowns and comic a metaphysical escape artist, a Houdini theatres of our time in Subversive of the soul." (p.11) Throughout the CALL FOR PAPERS Laughter.