Act One (book)

Act One
First edition
AuthorMoss Hart
LanguageEnglish
GenreMemoir, autobiography
PublisherRandom House
Publication date
1959
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint

Act One is an autobiographical 1959 book by playwright Moss Hart.[1][2][3] It was the source for a 1963 film and a 2014 Broadway play.

Overview

The book chronicles Moss Hart's impoverished New York childhood and his long struggle to Broadway success.

Adaptations

The book was adapted into the film Act One (1963).

James Lapine wrote a stage version (Act One), commissioned by the Lincoln Center Theater and developed by the Vineyard Arts Project. A reading was held in July 2012.[4] There was also a workshop on Martha's Vineyard July 16–21, 2012, which featured Tony Shalhoub, Debra Monk, Chuck Cooper, and David Turner.[5] The play premiered on Broadway, at the Lincoln Center Vivian Beaumont Theater, in previews on March 20, 2014, with the official opening on April 17, 2014. The play starred Santino Fontana, Tony Shalhoub, and Andrea Martin, and was directed by Lapine.[6]

A section of Act One about his relationship with his father was adapted as the segment "A Memory of Christmas" for R. O. Blechman's 1977 special Simple Gifts. The narration was read by Jose Ferrer.

References

  1. ^ James Wolcott (November 2012). "The Man Who Came to Broadway". Vanity Fair.
  2. ^ Brad Leithauser (2001-04-29). "Broadway Returned His Regards". The New York Times.
  3. ^ Jonathan Yardley (2008-12-01). "'Act One': Autobiography of Broadway Playwright Moss Hart Still Boffo 50 Years Later". The Washington Post.
  4. ^ Michael Riedel (2012-07-19). "Theater legend gets Act 2". The New York Post.
  5. ^ Hetrick, Adam (July 21, 2012). "Moss Hart's 'Act One', Adapted by James Lapine, Gets Starry Reading With Debra Monk and Tony Shalhoub". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16.
  6. ^ Hetrick, Adam & Gioia, Michael (March 20, 2014). "Moss Hart's Theatrical Memoir 'Act One', With Santino Fontana and Tony Shalhoub, Comes to Life on Broadway March 20". Playbill. Archived from the original on March 20, 2014.