Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
When Dewhurst died of cervical cancer in 1991, she had been working on her autobiography, on and off, for about 15 years. Under pressure from her publisher in 1990, she finally began making real progress on it after getting help from Viola, her friend and assistant (in her role as president of Actor's Equity). After Dewhurst's death, Viola finished the book by interspersing through the manuscript stories told by many of her longtime friends and colleagues in the theater and by her two sons. Readers are warned from the beginning that Dewhurst "was not interested in writing a `tell-all' book," that some of the "most potent memories" she shared with Viola were about others and therefore "theirs to tell... not mine," and that she was "very discreet about private things." But what follows is a thoroughly revealing and entertaining look into the life of a fascinating woman, from her childhood as a tomboy, her years in summer stock and the pinnacle of her success and joy in A Moon for the Misbegotten on Broadway (for which she received a Tony Award), to playing Murphy Brown's mother (for which she received an Emmy). The stories that were "theirs to tell" are told by Jason Robards, Zoe Caldwell, Maureen Stapleton, Edward Albee, Roscoe Lee Browne and many others. The result is a full-spectrum technicolor picture of Dewhurst the actress, the political activist and the woman. The unique resonance of her voice and her memorable laughter leap from the page in this fine autobiography. (July)
Colleen Dewhurst: Her Autobiography
by Colleen Dewhurst, Tom Viola"Over ten years ago, I had an idea that brings me to this very moment." So wrote Colleen Dewhurst, as she began - finally - to recall the stories that would fill these pages. Three years later, Dewhurst, acclaimed as one of the greatest tragic actresses of our time, died on August 22, 1991, leaving unfinished the autobiography she had been writing for nearly two… See more details below
Overview
"Over ten years ago, I had an idea that brings me to this very moment." So wrote Colleen Dewhurst, as she began - finally - to recall the stories that would fill these pages. Three years later, Dewhurst, acclaimed as one of the greatest tragic actresses of our time, died on August 22, 1991, leaving unfinished the autobiography she had been writing for nearly two decades. The partial manuscript, notes and untranscribed tapes sketched the complete woman: the daughter who wrestled with the domineering strength of her mother's will, yet whose fierce integrity would motivate her actions for a lifetime; the student of Tyrone Guthrie, Harold Clurman and Joseph Papp; the creator, with actors Jason Robards and Ben Gazzara, of definitive renditions of Eugene O'Neill and Edward Albee plays; the star who would win two Obies, two Tonys and four Emmys; the activist who as president of Actors' Equity Association and a trustee of The Actors' Fund of America spoke up first and often, becoming a fierce advocate for those who were not as well known as she; the wife of George C. Scott; the mother of Alex and Campbell - and, on television, of Murphy Brown; and, finally, the friend whose laughter and easy willingness to share the joy, the pain and the random ridiculousness of life invited many into her heart. Colleen's unbending principles and ardent activism would shape her life. But her intensity was balanced by exuberance and an egalitarian love of gossip, as evidenced by anectodes of professional success and failure; stories about the classic productions of The Taming of the Shrew, Desire Under the Elms, All the Way Home, A Moon for the Misbegotten, You Can't Take It with You and Long Day's Journey into Night; memories of finding her stage legs in cramped theaters where she earned the sobriquet the "Queen of Off-Broadway"; as well as delicious details about the menagerie of people and pets who collected at her wooded escape known as the Farm. To enhance and complete the existing
Editorial Reviews
Library Journal - Library Journal
Many know Colleen Dewhurst as Murphy Brown's mother, Avery, in the popular sitcom, but of course there was much more to her wonderful career, as many theater and film buffs know. Sadly, Dewhurst died from cancer before she could finish her autobiography, but fortunately longtime friend Viola was brought in to complete the work. In addition to the material that Dewhurst herself wrote, Viola incorporates anecdotes from family, friends, and co-workers, most of whom were involved with Dewhurst in her theatrical and movie career. The interplay of these multiple perspectives makes for an unusual and interesting biography, but Dewhurst was interesting enough that her own material holds its own quite nicely. Also of interest is Dewhurst's strong commitment to the principles of Christian Science. Even after she knew she had cancer, she refused the medical therapies that might have lengthened or saved her life. Essential reading for anyone interested in theater or film. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 3/1/97.]Susan L. Peters, Emory Univ. Lib., Atlanta
Kirkus Reviews
From the great New York stage actress (a.k.a. Murphy Brown's mother), a memoir as unconventional and captivating as she was.When Dewhurst died in 1991, she had roughed out about two-thirds of her autobiography with the assistance of Viola, who typed, edited, and organized her spoken recollections. He completed the book by interviewing friends, coworkers, and family, weaving their memories into Dewhurst's account to create a vivid portrait of her powerful personality and the warm response she prompted in others. Despite her famous sociability—her country home was virtually a commune for kids, animals, and anyone in trouble—Dewhurst was in many ways very private; it is primarily from the comments of others that we glean details of her two stormy marriages to George C. Scott and her mother's Christian Science faith, which influenced her decision not to seek medical treatment for the cervical cancer that killed her. Her narrative focuses on her career, paying generous tribute to mentors like Harold Clurman, colleagues like Joe Papp (she acted in many of the New York Shakespeare Festival's early productions), and collaborators like director Jose Quintero and costar Jason Robards, with whom she created the magical 1974 revival of Eugene O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten that made her a star at age 49. Dewhurst was the premier interpreter of O'Neill's female characters—she appeared in Desire Under the Elms, Long Day's Journey into Night, and Ah, Wilderness!—and she also worked frequently with Edward Albee; her thoughts on these two important American playwrights are illuminating, though she does not discuss her performances in much detail. She speaks appreciatively on occasion of the professionalism she found working on television shows like Murphy Brown, but the entire text glows with her love for the theater as an art and an occupation—concern for the latter made her active in the Actors' Fund and a two-term president of Actors' Equity.
A moving human document as well as a fine theater autobiography.
Product Details
- ISBN-13:
- 9780684807010
- Publisher:
- Scribner
- Publication date:
- 06/15/1997
- Pages:
- 386
- Product dimensions:
- 6.42(w) x 9.54(h) x 1.20(d)
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