Movie Legends Play, Stars in My Eyes, Runs Through 8/5

The stories (and excesses) of Hollywood's Golden Age will be examined through the poetry of Edward Field in Stars in My Eyes, which premiered on Thursday, July 20th at the WorkShop Theater (312 West 36th Street) as part of the Seventh Annual Midtown International Theatre Festival.  The show runs through August 5th.

Adapted and directed by Michael Boothroyd and produced by Most Polite Productions, Stars in My Eyes is "a blending of fiction, fact and a bit of camp (that) takes an affectionate, yet penetrating look at the people and creations that inhabited Hollywood lore more than 70 years ago. The performances fuse the traditions of spoken word with the aesthetics of theatrical staging.  As the narrator of each poem speaks the words of the poetry, the other members of the ensemble will act out the snippets of scenes being described, with vintage costumes from the Golden Era of Hollywood," according to production notes.

"I've always been fascinated by this era," Boothroyd explained.  "It was a place where anything and everything was possible and where so many outrageous personalities sprang forth.  Old Hollywood is where the myth of the American Dream was created.  Stars in My Eyes tries to find the middle ground between the unreality of film and the reality of life and then strike a balance between those two worlds" 

The cast features: James Gash, Jessica Jennings, Ryan G. Metzger, Charlotte Miller, Paige and Benjamin Solomon.  An earlier version of this show was done at the Fashion Playfest last year, selling out at each performance. 

Field is publishing his memoirs, The Man Who Would Marry Susan Sontag, and Other Intimate Literary Portraits of the Bohemian Era, about his life in the bohemian community.  Field wrote the narration for the documentary film To Be Alive, (Academy Award, l965) and was awarded with: the Guggenheim Fellowship (l963), Shelley Memorial Award (Poetry Society of America - l974), Prix de Rome (American Academy of Arts & Letters - l98l), Lambda Literary Award, (l993). His books of poetry include Magic Words: Poems (Harcourt, 1997); Counting Myself Lucky: Selected Poems 1963-1992 (1992); New and Selected Poems from the Book of My Life (1987); A Full Heart (1977), nominated for the Lenore Marshall Prize; and Stand Up, Friend, with Me (1963). 

Boothroyd studied theater and oral interpretation at Emerson College.  He performed with the Forensic Society around the country and was recognized with over 100 awards in oral interpretation.  One of his most successful performances was Field's The Life of Joan Crawford.  As a director, he directed the original version of Stars in My Eyes, Calamus, based on the poetry of Walt Whitman (at The Duplex), and hook up"at the Strawberry One Act Festival, where he was nominated for Best Director.  As an actor, he has performed in New York City at The Flea, Kaye Playhouse, and ATA, as well as in films.

Running from July 20th – August 5th, Stars in My Eyes will be performed at the MainStage Space of the WorkShop Theater, located at 312 West 36th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues). 

Show times are Thursday, July 20th at 6:30pm, Sunday, July 23rd at 1:15pm, Saturday, July 29th at 11am, Sunday, July 30 at 8pm, Tuesday, August 1st at 6:30pm and Saturday, August 5th  at 1:15pm.  Tickets are $18.00, $15.00 for students and seniors.  Reservations: 212-868-4444 or www.smarttix.com.  Additional information on the show can be found atwww.mostpolite.org.  Additional information on the Midtown International Theatre Festival can be found at www.midtownfestival.org.