Lillian Hellman was an American dramatist and screenwriter whose works often grappled with moral dilemmas and social criticism. She penned powerful female characters and explored themes of injustice, courage, and personal integrity. Her dramatic style was known for its intensity and incisive dialogue. Hellman was also recognized for her unwavering stance during political persecution, which shaped her life and career.
In this widely praised follow-up to her National Book Award-winning first volume of memoirs, An Unfinished Woman, the legendary playwright Lillian Hellman looks back at some of the people who, wittingly or unwittingly, exerted profound influence on her development as a woman and a writer. The portraits include Hellman's recollection of a lifelong friendship that began in childhood, reminiscences that formed the basis of the Academy Award-winning film Julia.
Set in an all-girls boarding school, the drama unfolds as a vengeful student falsely accuses the headmistresses of a lesbian affair, leading to devastating consequences for both women. As the rumor spreads, it wreaks havoc on their careers and personal lives. The play explores themes of betrayal, the power of gossip, and the fragility of reputation. Ultimately, the story raises questions about truth and the lasting impact of lies, leaving the audience to ponder whether the damage can ever be undone.
Caustic, brilliant, uncompromising, accomplished, Lillian Hellman, one writer noted, can "take the tops off bottles with her teeth". Her career as a playwright began in 1938 with The Children's Hour, the first of seven plays that would bring her international attention and praise. Thirty years later, Hellman unleashed her peerless wit and candor on the subject she knew best: herself. An Unfinished Woman is a rich, surprising, emotionally charged portrait of a bygone world -- and of an independent-minded woman coming into her own. Wendy Wasserstein's introduction to this new edition provides a fascinating literary and historical context for reexamining Lillian Hellman's life and achievement.
An acting edition of the 1939 drama in which brothers Oscar and Ben Hubbard steal money from their ailing brother-in-law in order to fund a cotton mill, only to be caught by their sister Regina who demands they give her a 75 percent share of the business in exchange for keeping them out of prison
Presents an account of Lillian Hellman's summons to testify before the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities in 1952.
Ausgezeichnet mit dem National Book Award - die zeitlosen Erinnerungen einer großen amerikanischen Schriftstellerin. Lillian Hellman (1905-1984) gehört zu den Großen der amerikanischen Literaturszene. Ihre Theaterstücke wurden mit den Werken von Tennessee Williams und Eugene O'Neill verglichen. Sie lebte viele Jahre mit Dashiell Hammett zusammen, engagierte sich gegen politische Unfreiheit in der McCarthy-Ära, unterrichtete als Professorin in Harvard und Yale. In ihren Erinnerungen blickt sie zurück auf ihre Kindheit und Jugend in New Orleans, stellt sich den prägenden Eindrücken ihrer Arbeit als Kriegsberichterstatterin im spanischen Bürgerkrieg und in Russland während des Zweiten Weltkriegs. Temperamentvoll, freiheitsliebend und immer neugierig - so zeigt sich diese ungewöhnliche Frau in einer aufregenden Zeit. Dass dieses Leben deshalb nie „fertig“ wurde, nimmt Lillian Hellman billigend in Kauf. Die renommierte Literaturwissenschaftlerin Elisabeth Bronfen geht in einem ausführlichen Nachwort auf die Aktualität dieses zeitlosen Klassikers unter den großen Frauenbiographien ein.
Theater in der Josefstadt
