Dr. Martha S. LoMonaco, PhD.
Summer
Stock! An American Theatrical Phenomenon
New
York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004
ISBN: 1-4039-6542-0
Summer
stock theater is an American invention. From Memorial Day to Labor Day each
year, rustic playhouses open their doors to the words of Ibsen, Shakespeare,
Neil Simon, and a host of others and the performances of big stars and aspiring
beginners. While not exactly as depicted in the MGM film Summer Stock, these
theaters allowed “city folk” partaking of the country life to spend their
evenings in the worthwhile pursuit of culture. Martha LoMonaco's Summer Stock!
is both a terrific history of the Straw Hat Circuit and a look at how American
leisure was shaped in the early twentieth century by a group of savvy theater
entrepreneurs. Anyone who remembers stepping inside one of these theaters on a
hot summer night to see Hayfever or West Side Story will cherish this
delightful book.
Praise for Summer Stock!:
- Recognized as an "Outstanding Academic Title of 2004" by Choice magazine
- The largely
overlooked history of American summer stock is illuminated in this energetic
and powerful book. Martha LoMonaco sets out to change our perception of summer
stock, and she succeeds admirably. Combining meticulous research, breathtaking
knowledge of twentieth-century theatre history, and deep love for the subject,
the author has produced a groundbreaking account of this indigenous American
art form. The book will broaden our understanding of American theatre history
and enrich the study of American culture.”
David Krasner, Yale University - With
wit, clarity, thoroughness, and a wonderful sense of discovery, Martha LoMonaco
has written a captivating, informative, and very entertaining history and
debunking of the mythology of this most American of theatrical traditions... A
stimulating and delightful journey to our past.
Don B.Wilmeth, Brown University
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