Theatre Library Association award finalists announced

Two books in the University Press of Kentucky’s Screen Classics series have been named award finalists by the Theatre Library Association. "Ziegfeld and His Follies: A Biography of Broadway’s Greatest Producer" by Cynthia Brideson and Sara Brideson was one of ten finalists for the George Freedley Memorial Award for an exemplary work in the field of live theatre or performance. In addition, "Dalton Trumbo: Blacklisted Hollywood Radical" by Larry Ceplair and Christopher Trumbo was one of eight finalists for the Richard Wall Memorial Award for an exemplary work in the field of recorded performance.

Founded in 1937, the Theatre Library Association supports librarians and archivists affiliated with theatre, dance, performance studies, popular entertainment, motion picture, and broadcasting collections. TLA promotes professional best practices in acquisition, organization, access, and preservation of performing arts resources in libraries, archives, museums, private collections, and the digital environment. By producing publications, conferences, panels, and public events, TLA fosters creative and ethical use of performing arts materials to enhance research, live performance, and scholarly communication.

In "Ziegfeld and His Follies: A Biography of Broadway’s Greatest Producer," authors Cynthia Brideson and Sara Brideson offer a comprehensive look at both the life and legacy of the famous producer. Drawing on a wide range of sources, the Bridesons shed new light on this enigmatic man who revolutionized theater performance with the musical "Show Boat" (1927) and continued making Broadway hits—including "Sally" (1920), "Rio Rita" (1927), and "The Three Musketeers" (1928)—several of which were adapted for the silver screen. They provide a lively and well-rounded account of Ziegfeld as a father, a husband, a son, a friend, a lover, and an alternately ruthless and benevolent employer. Lavishly illustrated with over seventy-five images, this meticulously researched book presents an intimate and in-depth portrait of a figure who profoundly changed American entertainment.

In "Dalton Trumbo," Ceplair and Trumbo present their extensive research on James Dalton Trumbo (1905–1976) who is widely recognized for his work as a screenwriter, playwright, and author, but also remembered as one of the Hollywood Ten who opposed the House Un-American Activities Committee. They explore the career of this famed writer, detailing his work, his membership in the Communist Party, his long campaign against censorship during the domestic cold war, his ten-month prison sentence for contempt of Congress, and his thirteen-year struggle to break the blacklist. This comprehensive biography provides insights into the many notable people with whom Trumbo worked, including Stanley Kubrick, Otto Preminger, and Kirk Douglas, and offers a fascinating look at the life of one of Hollywood’s most prominent screenwriters and his battle against persecution.

The 2015 TLA book awards will be presented to the winners at a gala celebration on Friday, October 14, 6:30 p.m., in the Café of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.