JACQUELINE BERTRAND - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 01/04/1984 - HFSID 300596

JACQUELINE BERTRAND
Letter to Theatre World editor John Wills, reporting a busy work schedule and a new baby
Typed Letter signed: "Jacqueline", 1 page, 8½x11. New York, N.Y., 1984 January 4. On personal letterhead to Mr. John Willis,in full: "I apologize, once more, for my laxness in responding to your kind request for a new photo, but I do have the 2 best excuses in the world, a very tight work schedule and a new baby. Talk of being doubly blessed. Happy New Year, good health, and all sorts of good things. Affectionately". JACQUELINE (1925-2008) appeared in eight Off-Broadway plays between 1966 and 1992, mostly in lead roles. The year she wrote this letter, she starred in Nest of the Wood Grouse at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre. She appeared in TV episodes of the 1960s and early 1970s, even playing a ghost in two episodes of Dark Shadows (1966), and made the first of several feature film appearances in 1968 (The Hell With Heroes). Married to photographer Peter Basch, she had two children, but the arrival of a new baby in 1984 is somewhat surprising, given her age. 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. Otherwise, fine condition.