LEWIS B. FUNKE - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 09/02/1974 - HFSID 306377

LEWIS B. FUNKE
Updating Theatre World editor John Willis on his recent activities, the former New York Times drama columnist praises Willis' publication, of which he owns every annual edition.
Typed Letter signed: "Lew", 1 page, 7¼x10½. No place, 1974 September 2. On personal letterhead to John Willis, Crown Publishers, New York, N. Y. In full: "I hope you will forgive my tardiness. As you may or may not know, I spent the summer, or a good part of it anyway, directing publicity for the Eugene O'Neill Memorial Theatre Center. That ended in mid-August and then I was invited to Minneapolis for the annual ATA convention. But a note to myself to thank you for your prompt response to my request for your latest copy of Theatre World has been atop my desk all the time. As I explained in my original note to you, I have found the series invaluable. But then you know it is. What thrills me, though, is to see how it has grown from that first copy through subsequent two paperbacks right up to the present. I have the full set to date. Keep up the good work. Cordially." Accompanied by original mailing envelope. Lewis Funke (1912-1992) was a longtime dramatics editor and critic for the New York Times, writing a regular Sunday column, "News from the Rialto." Like John Willis, he recognized and publicized young actors and playwrights. He interviewed many theatre greats, including the Lunts, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. His Actors Talk About Acting (1961), became a standard reference book, and he co-authored a book with Helen Hayes (Gift of Joy, 1965). 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. Minimally creased. Otherwise, fine condition.