Albee, Prince, Seldes, Pierce and Easton to Celebrate Hagen and Berghof at NYPL | Playbill

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News Albee, Prince, Seldes, Pierce and Easton to Celebrate Hagen and Berghof at NYPL Edward Albee, Marian Seldes, David Hyde Pierce, Richard Easton and Hal Prince are among the theatre luminaries who will celebrate the life and work of Uta Hagen and Herbert Berghof at the New York Public Library.

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts' Billy Rose Theatre Division recently acquired the papers of theatrical duo Hagen and Berghof, who, in addition to breaking ground on stage, also founded the renowned Greenwich Village acting school, HB Studio.

Ninety-nine boxes of personal papers offer insight into the personal lives of Hagen and Berghof. Among the acquisitions are diaries, scripts, character studies, manuscripts, photographs and clippings. Also included are HB studio correspondence with show business greats including Samuel Beckett, Katharine Hepburn, José Ferrer, Vanessa Redgrave, David O. Selznik, Thornton Wilder and Tennessee Williams.

Hagen's personal papers include a notebook kept during rehearsals of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, which features copious notes and observations regarding character motivation and psychology.

In honor of the new collection, the New York Public Library is holding a series of free public lectures on the life and legacy of Hagen and Berghof at the Lincoln Center venue.

Barbara Barrie, Richard Easton, Hal Prince and Fritz Weaver will reminisce about the life and work of Hagen Sept. 18 at 6 PM. Katie Finneran, Laila Robins and Victor Slezak will read from materials in the Hagen papers and share their memories of Hagen and Berghof Sept. 22 at 6 PM. Karen Ludwig, Austin Pendleton and Rochelle Oliver will discuss Hagen's legacy as an acting teacher, including excerpts from "Uta Hagen's Acting Class," Oct. 2 at 6:30 PM. On Oct. 23 at 6 PM Dr. Milly S. Barranger will offer a lecture on the 1942 production of Othello, which starred Hagen as Desdemona, Paul Robeson as Othello and José Ferrer as Iago, under the direction of Margaret Webster.

Playwright Edward Albee joins Mitchell Erickson and Anne Kaufman to discuss their collaborations and personal friendships with Hagen Oct. 30 at 6 PM. Mary Anthony, Anne Jackson, Eli Wallach and Edward Morehouse will discuss the early years of the HB Studio Nov. 8 at 3 PM.

David Hyde Pierce, Marian Seldes and Arthur French will read the papers of Hagen and Berghof Nov. 17 at 6 PM. Fritz Weaver and Rochelle Oliver read correspondence between Hagen and her father Oskar Hagen Dec. 8 at 6 PM.

All events will take place in the Bruno Walter Auditorium in The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, located at 111 Amsterdam Avenue (between 64th and 65th streets). Free admission is on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets for some events may be required. For further information phone (212) 642-0142 or visit NYPL.

 
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