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[[File:Reddevil.jpg|thumb|''The Red Devil Battery Sign'']]
[[File:Reddevil.jpg|thumb|''The Red Devil Battery Sign'']]


'''''The Red Devil Battery Sign''''' is a [[1975 in literature|1975 drama]] written by [[United States|American]] playwright [[Tennessee Williams]]. It was revised substantially before publication.


'''''The Red Devil Battery Sign''''' is a three-act play by American writer [[Tennessee Williams]]. He copyrighted the text in 1975 for its premiere in Boston, but revised the play in 1979; that later version was published by [[New Directions|New Directions Publishing]] in 1988.<ref>Williams, Tennessee. ''The Red Devil Battery Sign''. New York: New Directions, 1988, p. xii. ISBN 0-8112-1046-4</ref>
In October 1980, the [[Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company|Vancouver Playhouse]] produced ''Red Devil'' while Williams was [[writer-in-residence]] at the [[University of British Columbia]]. It was directed by [[Roger Hodgman]] and starred [[Diane D'Aquila]] (Woman Downtown) and [[Richard Donat]] (King Del Rey). The play received scathing reviews from the Vancouver and other Canadian papers. However, the Playhouse produced the project the following year at the [[world premiere]] of ''[[The Notebook of Trigorin]]'', Williams' free adaptation of [[Anton Chekhov]]'s ''[[The Seagull]]''.<ref name="var">{{cite news | first = | last = | title = Gene Persson dies at 74 | url = http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987838.html?categoryId=25&cs=1 | work = ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' | publisher = Variety | date = 2008-06-20 | accessdate = 2008-07-07 }}</ref>


The 1975 Boston production starred [[Anthony Quinn]] (King Del Rey), [[Claire Bloom]] (Woman Downtown), [[Katy Jurado]] (Perla), [[Annette Cardona]] (La Niña) and [[Steve McAddy]] (McCabe). It was directed by [[Ed Sherin]] and produced by [[David Merrick]] and [[Hilliard Elkins]] who was married to Bloom, although they divorced soon after the play closed. Williams was fully involved in the production during the New York City rehearsals, but in Boston he was absent part of the time. He sent in rewrites when requested. The Boston premiere received mixed reviews, but the production drew audiences; Merrick, however, insisted that the financial investment had been exhausted and he closed the show two weeks after its first preview.[2] <ref>Lahr, John. ''Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh''. New York: W.W. Norton, 2014, pp. 551-53. ISBN978-0-393-02124-0
The play was produced in [[Great Britain]] in 1977 at the Roundhouse Theatre, London (during Williams' lifetime) by [[Gene Persson]]. Williams chose [[Pierce Brosnan]] to play McCabe in the British premiere.
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In 1977 The Red Devil Battery Sign was produced by Gene Persson at the Roundhouse Theatre in London. Williams chose Pierce Brosnan to play McCabe in the British premiere. Keith Baxter starred as King Del Rey and was also the play's co-director; Williams dedicated his 1979 revision of the play to Baxter.
The original production of Red Devil Battery Sign was in 1975 in Boston and starred [[Anthony Quinn]], [[Claire Bloom]], [[Katy Jurado]], [[Annette Cardona]], and [[Steve McAddy]]. It was directed by [[Ed Sherin]]. Among a group of producers were [[David Merrick]] and [[Hilliard Elkins]] who was married to Ms. Bloom, although they divorced soon after the play closed. Mr. Williams was fully involved in the production during the New York City rehearsals, but in Boston he was absent part of the time. He sent in rewrites when requested.


The Vancouver Playhouse produced The Red Devil Battery Sign in October 1980, while Williams was writer-in-residence at the University of British Columbia. It was directed by Roger Hodgman and starred Diane D'Aquila (Woman Downtown) and Richard Donat (King Del Rey). The play received scathing reviews from the Vancouver press and other Canadian papers. However, the Playhouse produced the project the following year at the world premiere of The Notebook of Trigorin, Williams' free adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull.<ref name="var">{{cite news | first = | last = | title = Gene Persson dies at 74 | url = http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987838.html?categoryId=25&cs=1 | work = ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' | publisher = Variety | date = 2008-06-20 | accessdate = 2008-07-07 }}</ref>
The show got a poor review from the Boston critic and the closing notice was posted after a week or so of the run.


== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 11:44, 19 July 2018

The Red Devil Battery Sign


The Red Devil Battery Sign is a three-act play by American writer Tennessee Williams. He copyrighted the text in 1975 for its premiere in Boston, but revised the play in 1979; that later version was published by New Directions Publishing in 1988.[1]

The 1975 Boston production starred Anthony Quinn (King Del Rey), Claire Bloom (Woman Downtown), Katy Jurado (Perla), Annette Cardona (La Niña) and Steve McAddy (McCabe). It was directed by Ed Sherin and produced by David Merrick and Hilliard Elkins who was married to Bloom, although they divorced soon after the play closed. Williams was fully involved in the production during the New York City rehearsals, but in Boston he was absent part of the time. He sent in rewrites when requested. The Boston premiere received mixed reviews, but the production drew audiences; Merrick, however, insisted that the financial investment had been exhausted and he closed the show two weeks after its first preview.[2] [2]

In 1977 The Red Devil Battery Sign was produced by Gene Persson at the Roundhouse Theatre in London. Williams chose Pierce Brosnan to play McCabe in the British premiere. Keith Baxter starred as King Del Rey and was also the play's co-director; Williams dedicated his 1979 revision of the play to Baxter.

The Vancouver Playhouse produced The Red Devil Battery Sign in October 1980, while Williams was writer-in-residence at the University of British Columbia. It was directed by Roger Hodgman and starred Diane D'Aquila (Woman Downtown) and Richard Donat (King Del Rey). The play received scathing reviews from the Vancouver press and other Canadian papers. However, the Playhouse produced the project the following year at the world premiere of The Notebook of Trigorin, Williams' free adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull.[3]

References

  1. ^ Williams, Tennessee. The Red Devil Battery Sign. New York: New Directions, 1988, p. xii. ISBN 0-8112-1046-4
  2. ^ Lahr, John. Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh. New York: W.W. Norton, 2014, pp. 551-53. ISBN978-0-393-02124-0
  3. ^ "Gene Persson dies at 74". Variety. Variety. 2008-06-20. Retrieved 2008-07-07. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)