Jo Mielziner (1901-76) was the most highly acclaimed scenic and lighting designer of the American theatre of the twentieth century. Spanning some five decades, his unusually long career coincided with the flowering of modern theatre in the United States, with the result that he designed many of its most famous productions. So protean were Mielziner's talents that in some years during Broadway's peak, in a single season more than a half-dozen hit shows bore his scenery on the boards.
Mielziner: Master of Modern Stage Design, authorized by the Mielziner estate and published in association with The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, is illustrated with sketches and fully rendered designs never previously published, and graced with a foreword by former New York Times theatre critic Frank Rich, this book provides a long-overdue, definitive account of Mielziner's life and work as the preeminent theatre artist of his time.
Henderson (curator of the White Barn Theater Museum in Westport, Connecticut, she's lectured and written extensively on theater), using the substantial archive of his writings, has assembled a suitable tribute to one of America's most influential creators of theater design. The book proceeds chronologically through Mielziner's life and long career, richly supplemented with photos and high quality color reproductions of the designer's watercolor and pencil drawings, and excerpts from his writings. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
