A Symposium On Norman Mailer's Work In Film And Television To take Place On 9/23

A Symposium on Norman Mailer’s work in Film and Theater. “ Did you love it or hate it? Norman would agree.”

The event is hosted by The Nuyorican Poets Café (236 E.3rd St. N.Y.C. (btwn Ave. B &C)). For more information, phone (212) 505-8183.

It will take place on Wednesday Evening, Sept.23, 2009 from 6:30PM - 9 PM.

As we approach the second anniversary of the sad passing of Norman Mailer, one of the most important voices of the twentieth century, The Great American Play Series and The Nuyorican Poet’s Café are proud to present

“A panel discussion on Norman Mailer’s work in film and on stage”
Led by actor/director Stephan Morrow* and Daniel Gallant, Executive Director, Nuyorican Poets Cafe.

Panel Members : Norris Church Mailer ( memoir on her thirty year plus marriage to Mr. Mailer soon to be published), John Buffalo Mailer ( playwright and actor and co-author with his father of ‘The Big Empty’), Michael Chaiken - Mailer film archivist and moderator of The Lincoln Center Mailer Film Retrospective, Jonathan Rosenbaum - noted film critic of The Chicago Reader, Richard Stratton - producer, author and close friend of Mr. Mailer’s, are scheduled to appear. Others to be announced.

$7 admission.

The discussion will focus on his major feature effort as writer and director (“Tough Guys Don’t Dance”), and his stage work featuring “Strawhead - A Memory Play of Marilyn”, and “The Deer Park ( or Hollywood Goes to Hell)”.

The discussion will attempt to assess how successful Mr. Mailer was in his efforts to reach a mass audience, or at least one that went beyond the intellectual elites of his books and why he felt the need to make the attempt.

Also, why the response to his work seemed to be so polarizing - between those who became Mailer partisans and passionately defended it and those who excoriated it. Finally, how his work in film and theater fits into the legacy of his work as a whole with a final section devoted to what the future holds for writers.

The discussion will also include remembrances of colleagues, friends and family and will be opened up to the audience with a question and answer session with the aim of creating an evening as free
wheeling and open as Norman Mailer himself would have liked, covering as many aspects of his work and life as time allows.

As might be appropriate for a discussion about Mr. Mailer - there will be a cash bar available to the audience during the evening.

* As an actor Stephan Morrow had the privilege to perform in all three projects and also direct The Deer Park, working closely with Mr. Mailer in the winter of his life on plans for a filmed version of the play. He had the honor of being given ‘the largest piece of real estate’ in The Memorial Issue of The Mailer Review of Oct.2008.

Photo taken from http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/norman%20mailer.jpg?format=auto&width=1400.

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