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 The Al Hirschfeld Foundation presents its latest online exhibition, "It Goes So Fast: Our Town by Hirschfeld." Now live at AlHirschfeldFoundation.org/exhibitions though May 15, the exhibition features Hirschfeld's reflections of the legendary Thornton Wilder drama featuring artists including Frances Conroy, Henry Fonda, Spalding Gray, Helen Hayes, Penelope Ann Miller, Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, Frank Sinatra, Eric Stoltz and more. "It Goes So Fast: Our Town by Hirschfeld" is guest-curated by Howard Sherman, in conjunction with the publication of his book, Another Day's Begun: Thornton Wilder's Our Town in the 21st Century (Methuen Drama, publisher). This is the first exhibition from the Al Hirschfeld Foundation concentrated on a single play. Through Hirschfeld's pen, we see how Wilder's landmark drama so resonated with both audiences and performers over eight decades. Hirschfeld drew Our Town productions on stage, on television, and even a musical version. Howard Sherman brings many of these productions to life in his engaging commentary throughout the exhibition. "Given the breadth of his career, it's no surprise that Al Hirschfeld had occasion to draw actors from productions of Our Town, in light of the enduring popularity of Thornton Wilder's play," says Howard Sherman, guest-curator of the exhibition. "In only 10 drawings, Hirschfeld managed to commemorate all four productions that have played on Broadway to date, ranging from the original in 1938 to the most recent revival in 2002. He also captured all of the men who played the Stage Manager on Broadway, an estimable quartet made up of Frank Craven, Henry Fonda, Spalding Gray, and Paul Newman, as well as various other members of the companies." "Howard's book shows how Our Town, like Hirschfeld's drawing, continues to engage audiences long after it was first created," says David Leopold, Creative Director of The Al Hirschfeld Foundation. "The Al Hirschfeld Foundation appreciates what Howard Sherman does in his book. He takes something we all know and sees it in a fresh light. That is a hallmark of Hirschfeld's work and one could say Thornton Wilder's as well. Of course Our Town uses simplicity to make its point, which again echoes Hirschfeld." Go behind the lines of Hirschfeld's art with "The Hirschfeld Century Podcast," nominated as "Best NYC podcast" by the 2020 Apple Awards. A special episode featuring Howard Sherman, guest-curator of "It Goes So Fast: Our Town by Hirschfeld" and author of Another Day's Begun: Thornton Wilder's Our Town in the 21st Century , will be available starting April 5, 2021 from AlHirschfeldFoundation.org/podcasts, iTunes and other popular podcast sites. * * * ABOUT HOWARD SHERMAN AND ANOTHER DAY'S BEGUN: THORNTON WILDER'S OUR TOWN IN THE 21ST CENTURY 80 years after it was written, more than 110 years after its actions take place, Our Town continues to assert itself as an essential play about how we must embrace and appreciate the value of life itself. Another Day's Begun explains how this American classic has the power to inspire, heal and endure in the modern day, onstage and beyond. A work of startling originality when it debuted in 1938, Thornton Wilder's Our Town evolved to be seen by some as a vintage slice of early 20th Century Americana, rather than being fully appreciated for its complex and eternal themes and its deceptively simple form. This unique and timely book shines a light on the play's continued impact in the 21st century and makes a case for the healing powers of Wilder's text to a world confronting multiple crises. Through extensive interviews with more than 100 artists about their own experience of the play and its impact on them professionally and personally - and including background on the play's early years and its pervasiveness in American culture - Another Day's Begunshows why this particular work remains so important, essential, and beloved. Howard Sherman is a theatre administrator, writer, and advocate. He has been executive director of the American Theatre Wing and the O'Neill Theater Center, managing director of Geva Theatre, general manager of Goodspeed Musicals and public relations director of Hartford Stage. He has also interim director of the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts. Since 2012, he has been the US columnist for The Stage newspaper in London, and in 2018 was named Contributing Editor of Stage Directions magazine. His writing has appeared in a number of publications including Slate, The New York Times, the Guardian, and American Theatre Magazine. He was cited as one of the Top 40 Free Speech Defenders in 2014 by the National Coalition Against Censorship and received the Dramatists Legal Defense Fund's "Defender" Award in 2015; he frequently consults, writes and speaks on issues of censorship in both academic and professional theatre. www.hesherman.com/anotherdaysbegun ABOUT THE AL HIRSCHFELD FOUNDATION The mission of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation is to promote interest in the theater and visual arts by supporting non-profit museums, libraries, theaters and similar cultural institutions. The Foundation fulfills its mission through grants and exhibitions of Hirschfeld's art . The Foundation maintains an extensive collection of Hirschfeld artworks and lends and/or donates pieces to institutions all over the world. Another primary mission is arts education, which the Foundation does primarily with the Hirschfeld Arts Curriculum. Created in conjunction with the New York City Board of Education, The Hirschfeld Arts Curriculum is an innovative visual/performing arts education program based on Hirschfeld's art to engage students K through 12 in a variety of arts activities. Our programs encourage writing, reading, researching, observing, movement and performance to learn about the arts, its history, and the opportunities for education and employment in the arts field. The web based Al Hirschfeld curriculum is easy to use, and is intended to be a free resource for teachers and students. www.AlHirschfeldFoundation.org ABOUT THE ARTIST Al Hirschfeld's drawings stand as one of the most innovative efforts in establishing the visual language of modern art through caricature in the 20th century. A self-described "characterist," his signature work, defined by a linear calligraphic style, appeared in virtually every major publication of the last nine decades (including a 75-year relationship with The New York Times) as well as numerous book and record covers and 15 postage stamps. Hirschfeld said his contribution was to take the character, created by the playwright and portrayed by the actor, and reinvent it for the reader. Playwright Terrence McNally wrote: "No one 'writes' more accurately of the performing arts than Al Hirschfeld. He accomplishes on a blank page with his pen and ink in a few strokes what many of us need a lifetime of words to say." In 1945, Hirschfeld celebrated the birth of his daughter Nina by placing her name in the background of a drawing. What the artist described as an innocent prank soon became a personal trademark and national obsession, as he began hiding numerous NINA's throughout his drawings for years to come. He is represented in many public collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the National Portrait Gallery, and Harvard's Theater Collection. Hirschfeld authored several books including Manhattan Oases and Show Business is No Business in addition to 10 collections of his work. He was declared a Living Landmark by the New York City Landmarks Commission in 1996, and a Living Legend by The Library of Congress in 2000. Just before his death in January 2003, he learned he was to be awarded the Medal of Arts from the National Endowment of the Arts and inducted into the Academy of Arts and Letters. The winner of two Tony Awards, he was given the ultimate Broadway accolade on what would have been his 100th birthday in June 2003. The Martin Beck Theater was renamed the Al Hirschfeld Theater. |
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