The Society for Theatre Research has announced the shortlist for the Theatre Book Prize 2023, its 25th year.
The prize will be judged by theatre critic Cindy Marcolina, performer William Purefoy and historian Jennifer Thorp on a panel chaired by STR committee member Howard Loxton.
The shortlist includes six titles, ranging from an examination of Harold Pinter and Tom Stoppard to a memoir of how a theatre company helped its community during the coronavirus pandemic. The judges read 45 books submitted by publishers, ranging from studies of female aerialists to the history of alternative comedy. The complete list of entries appears on the Society's website. The shortlist, alphabetically by author, is :
But Will It Get a Laugh? The Life of Doris Hare in Three Acts by Kate Crehan (STR)
An Actor’s Life in 12 Productions by Oliver Ford Davies (Book Guild)
The Club on the Edge of Town: A Pandemic Memoir by Allan Lane (Salamander Street)
Inside the Rehearsal Room: Process, Collaboration and Decision-Making by Robert Marsden (Methuen Drama)
Pinter and Stoppard: A Director’s View by Carey Perloff (Methuen Drama)
The Playwright’s Manifesto: How You Can be the Future of Playwriting by Paul Sirett (Methuen Drama)
The STR Theatre Book Prize was established in 1998 to celebrate the Society’s Golden Jubilee. Its aim is to encourage the writing and publication of books on British-related theatre history and practice. The winner of this year’s prize will be announced on June 17, when the Society will be celebrating not only its 25th prize-giving but also its 75th anniversary. The society was founded in 1948 to serve all those interested in the history and technique of British and British-related theatre, from academic and independent scholars and researchers to performers and other theatre workers and theatre fans. The society is the oldest society of its kind in the English-speaking world and has an international membership.
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