Theatrical reading

Ben Brantley in the New York Times has again suggested a reading list for theater ho's.

In addition to his suggestions — Hart, Rich, Quintero, Gielgud, Coward — peruse the many good suggestions down in the comments, including books by Antony Sher, Peter Hall, Michael Blakemore, Tyrone Guthrie, James Kirkwood, Simon Callow and more. (Helen Epstein's biography of Joe Papp is about the only book by a woman listed here.)
[ photo: Antony Sher as Richard III in 1985; see Frank Rich's review here ]

R3 at SFCC in '11

A year from now (evidently in March 2011), William Marlowe plans to direct Shakespeare's Richard III at the Falls, with Damon Curtis Mentzer (most recently, A Tuna Christmas and Shakespeare in Hollywood, but also The Importance of Being Earnest at Actors Rep; and Irma Vep, Othello and Woman in Black at Interplayers, along with many others) in the hunchback title role.

Mentzer's on a hot streak, since he's getting married on March 22 (a Monday, natch -- we are theater people, after all). 

And all Bobo has to say is that if Damon proposed to Kari McClure in anything like the way that Richard of Gloucester woos Lady Anne in the play, then he's very lucky that Kari said yes.

We wish the soon-to-be-married couple much happiness and (if they so choose) many little thespians, clustered 'round the hearth for familial readers theater performances. (To be held, of course, on Monday nights.)

[ photo: Antony Sher as Richard III in 1984 for the Royal Shakespeare Company; from a North Texas blog called "Art&Seek," with a good commentary about a production of the play at the Kitchen Dog Theater ]