PLAYBILL VAULT'S Today in Theatre History: AUGUST 17

By Ernio Hernandez
and Robert Viagas
August 17, 2012

1871 Playwright Jesse Lynch Williams is born today. During the 1917-1918 theatre season, Williams' play, Why Marry, will win the first-ever Pulitzer Prize for drama.

1893 Mae West is born. While best remembered as a film actress from the 1930s, West started out in vaudeville, later becoming a Broadway stage actress and playwright. On stage West appeared in many plays she also wrote. Among these were Diamond Lil (1928), Pleasure Man (1928) and The Constant Sinner (1931). At the curtain speech of her 1944 play Catherine Was Great, West explained that "Catherine had 300 lovers. I did the best I could in a couple of hours."

1955 A stellar Broadway revival of Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth stars George Abbott and Helen Hayes as Mr. and Mrs. Antrobus, and Mary Martin as Sabina.

1983 Ira Gershwin, the lyricist brother of composer George Gershwin, dies today at the age of 87. Among his collaborations with George were Funny Face and Porgy and Bess. Following George's death in 1937, Ira collaborated with Kurt Weill on Lady in the Dark and Harold Arlen on "A Star Is Born." Gershwin published his "Lyrics on Several Occasions," featuring many of his lyrics as well as annotations and anecdotes, in 1959.

1999 The Provincetown Repertory Theatre will presents the world premiere play by macabre illustrator and author Edward Gorey, titled Goreyphobia. Tony Award winning conductor & orchestrator Peter Matz composed the music for with Daniel Levans (who brought Amphigorey to the stage) directing the collaboration. The play by the "Master of the Macabre", known for his dark drawings. The show will develop into Gorey Details, which opens Off-Broadway Oct. 16, 2000.

More of Today's Birthdays Sidney Michaels 1927. Robert De Niro 1943. Sean Penn 1960.