The Theatre of Aurand Harris

The plays of Aurand Harris have been produced and applauded in thousands of productions around the world for nearly a half century. Harris was a prodigious dramatist, writing a new published play each season. He was a tireless experimenter of forms, themes, subjects. This modest man of irrepressible imagination and energy carried a vast array of honors and accolades. He was the first recipient of a National Endowment of the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship in Children's Theatre. He received an honorary doctorate from a mid-western university, and was introduced into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre. He was the first playwright to receive the Medallion of the Children's Theatre Foundation of America.

THE THEATRE OF AURAND HARRIS tells of his triple career as playwright, a classroom teacher, as a member of the Hollywood artistic community during its golden age (Mae West was once an honored guest at his birthday party!) For the first time his major thoughts about writing and directing plays for young audiences have been collected for study.

The fifteen plays range from 1945 to 1994, including both classics by Harris, and many never before anthologized, including THE PINBALLS, MONKEY MAGIC, and PETER RABBIT AND ME. Illustrations of Harris and notable productions are included.