DAME SYBIL THORNDIKE - AUTOGRAPH DOCUMENT SIGNED IN TEXT - HFSID 314441

DAME SYBIL THORNDIKE
The actress' handwritten resume from the archive of Theatre World and Screen World, a comprehensive record of American stage and film since 1945
Autograph Document signed in text, 1 page, 8½x11. New York City, no date. Printed biographical form on which the actor has supplied details: date and place of birth, education and professional training, and stage and screen experience. A stage actress well versed in Shakespeare, Dame Sybil Thorndike (1882-1976) portrayed such characters as Medea, Lady MacBeth, Queen Victoria and Joan of Arc. George Bernard Shaw is said to have written St Joan (1924) with Thorndike in mind for the part. Her occasional films included Dawn (1928), Major Barbara (1941), Nicholas Nickleby (1948) and Melba (1952). She was married for 60 years until his death in 1969 to actor/director Lewis Casson, with whom she had 5 children who all became actors. Theatre World, founded in 1945 by Daniel Blum, is America's oldest annual record of Broadway, Off-Broadway and regional theatre, referenced by industry professionals, historians, students and theatre fans worldwide. Until 1998, when a separate nonprofit corporation was established, Theatre World's editorial staff bestowed the prestigious Theatre World Awards for outstanding Broadway and Off-Broadway debuts. Screen World (from 1950) and Dance World (from 1966), administered from the same office, furnished comprehensive information on those entertainment genres. John A. Willis (1916-2010), active in Theatre World from the beginning, became its chief editor in 1965, holding that position until 2008. Willis is regarded as one of the foremost theatre and film historians of the 20th century. While producing (and presenting) the annual Theatre World Awards, Willis also served on the nominating committee for the Tony Awards. Theatre World, which received its own Tony for Excellence in Theatre in 2001, continues under chief editor Ben Hodges. Normal mailing folds. Toned. Corners creased and lightly worn. Otherwise, fine condition.