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Awakenings (book)
''Awakenings'' is a 1973 Non-fiction, non-fiction book by Oliver Sacks. It recounts the life histories of those who had been victims of the 1920s encephalitis lethargica epidemic. Sacks chronicles his efforts in the late 1960s to help these patients at the Beth Abraham Hospital (now Beth Abraham Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing) in the Bronx, New York City, New York. The treatment used the new drug L-DOPA, L-DOPA, with the observed effects on the patients' symptoms being generally dramatic but temporary. In 1982, Sacks wrote: The 1976 edition of the book is dedicated to the memory of Sacks's close friend the poet W. H. Auden, and bears an extract from Auden's 1969 poem ''The Art of Healing'': Auden himself called ''Awakenings'' a masterpiece. In 1974 the book won the Hawthornden Prize. In popular culture The book inspired a play, two films, a ballet and an opera: * 1974: the documentary film ''Awakenings'', produced by Duncan Dallas for Yorkshire Television as the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gerald Duckworth
Gerald de l'Etang Duckworth (29 October 1870 – 28 September 1937) was an English publisher, who founded the London company that bears his name. Henry James and John Galsworthy were among the firm's early authors. Background and early life Duckworth was a son of Herbert Duckworth, a London barrister, by his wife Julia Stephen, Julia Jackson. His father was the youngest son of William Duckworth of Orchardleigh Estate, Orchardleigh in Somerset. His middle name, ''de l'Etang'', was the surname of one of his mother's ancestors, Antoine de l'Etang, a page to Marie Antoinette, Queen Marie Antoinette. His mother was a niece of Julia Margaret Cameron, the photographer, after whom she was named. Duckworth's father died before his birth. When he was eight his mother married the author Leslie Stephen and had four more children: Virginia Stephen, later the author Virginia Woolf, the painter Vanessa Bell, and two sons, Thoby Stephen, Thoby and Adrian Stephen. Gerald and his elder brothe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Documentary Film
A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and Media studies, media analyst Bill Nichols (film critic), Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in terms of "a filmmaking practice, a cinematic tradition, and mode of audience reception [that remains] a practice without clear boundaries". Research into information gathering, as a behavior, and the sharing of knowledge, as a concept, has noted how documentary movies were preceded by the notable practice of documentary photography. This has involved the use of singular Photograph, photographs to detail the complex attributes of History, historical events and continues to a certain degree to this day, with an example being the War photography, conflict-related photography achieved by popular figures such as Mathew Brady during the Am ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Awakenings (opera)
''Awakenings'' is an opera in two acts composed by Tobias Picker, with a libretto by Aryeh Lev Stollman. Based on ''Awakenings'', Oliver Sacks' 1960's chronicle of his efforts to help the victims of an encephalitis epidemic, the opera was commissioned by the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and premiered on June 5, 2022. The East Coast premiere of ''Awakenings'' was performed by Odyssey Opera in partnership with Boston Modern Orchestra Project, conducted by Gil Rose and directed by James Robinson, on February 25, 2023, at the newly renovated Huntington Theater. Roles Development Picker originally met Oliver Sacks at a dinner party. Picker, whose Tourette's syndrome went undiagnosed until he was in his thirties, was interested in Sacks's opinion of his symptoms. Soon becoming close friends, Picker and Sacks served as mutual inspirations for one another: Picker was interested in Sacks's intellect and compassion, while Sacks was fascinated by Picker's creativity, Tourette's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Salford, Greater Manchester
Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, Salford Cathedral, Salford Lads' Club and St Philip's Church, Salford, St Philip's Church. In 2021 it had a population of 129,794. The demonym for people from Salford is ''Salfordian''. Salford is the main settlement of the wider City of Salford metropolitan borough, which incorporates Eccles, Greater Manchester, Eccles, Pendlebury, Swinton, Greater Manchester, Swinton and Walkden. Salford was named in the Early Middle Ages, though evidence exists of settlement since Neolithic times. It was the seat of the large Hundred of Salford in the Historic counties of England, historic county of Lancashire and was granted a market charter in about 1230, which gave it primary cultural and commercial importance in the region.. It was eventually overt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rambert Dance Company
Rambert (known as Rambert Dance Company before 2014) is a leading British dance company. Formed at the start of the 20th century as a classical ballet company, it exerted a great deal of influence on the development of dance in the United Kingdom, and today, as a contemporary dance company, continues to be one of the world's most renowned dance companies. It has previously been known as the Ballet Club, and the Ballet Rambert. History Dame Marie Rambert (1888–1982), founder of Rambert Dance Company, was born in Warsaw, Poland where she was inspired to become a dancer after seeing Isadora Duncan perform. She went to Paris and after an early career as a recital artist and teacher she was engaged by Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes as assistant to the choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky on '' The Rite of Spring''. She also taught Dalcroze Eurythmics to the company. During her year with the Ballets Russes her appreciation of classical ballet developed thus combining a love for trad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tobias Picker
Tobias Picker (born July 18, 1954) is an American composer, pianist, and Conductor (music), conductor, noted for his orchestral works ''Old and Lost Rivers'', ''Keys To The City (orchestral work), Keys To The City'', and ''The Encantadas (orchestral work), The Encantadas'', as well as his operas ''Emmeline (opera), Emmeline'', ''Fantastic Mr. Fox (opera), Fantastic Mr. Fox'', ''An American Tragedy (opera), An American Tragedy'' and ''Lili Elbe (opera), Lili Elbe,'' among many other works. Biography 1954–1975: Early years, influences, and education Picker was born in New York City on July 18, 1954, the son of painter and fashion designer Henriette Simon Picker and news-writer Julian Picker, and the cousin of film executive David V. Picker, businessman Harvey Picker, former CEO of The American Film Institute Jean Firstenberg, Jean Picker Firstenberg, art-patron Stanley Picker, filmmaker Jimmy Picker, and economist Kenneth Rogoff. At the age of eight, he began composing and studyi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedies alike, Williams is regarded as one of the greatest comedians of all time. He received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, five Grammy Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Williams was awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2005. Born in Chicago, Williams began performing stand-up comedy in San Francisco and Los Angeles during the mid-1970s, and released several comedy albums including ''Reality ... What a Concept'' in 1980. He rose to fame playing the alien Mork in the ABC sitcom ''Mork & Mindy'' (1978–1982). Williams received his first leading film role in ''Popeye'' (1980). Williams won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for '' Good Will Hunting'' (1997 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert De Niro
Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Robert De Niro, various accolades, including two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for eight BAFTA Awards and four Emmy Awards. He was honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2003, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2009, the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award, Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2011, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2019, and the Honorary Palme d'Or in 2025. De Niro studied acting at HB Studio, Stella Adler Conservatory, and Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio. He went on to earn two Academy Awards, his first for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actor for his role as Vito Corleone in the crime drama ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Awakenings
''Awakenings'' is a 1990 American biographical drama film written by Steven Zaillian, directed by Penny Marshall, and starring Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, Julie Kavner, Ruth Nelson, John Heard, Penelope Ann Miller, Peter Stormare and Max von Sydow. It is based on Oliver Sacks's 1973 nonfiction memoir ''Awakenings''. The film tells the story of the fictional neurologist Dr. Malcolm Sayer (Williams), whose character is based on Sacks. In 1969, Sayer discovers the beneficial effects of the drug L-DOPA and administers the drug to catatonic patients who survived the 1919–1930 epidemic of encephalitis lethargica. The patients—among them the focal character Leonard Lowe (De Niro)—are awakened after decades and must therefore try to acclimate to life in a new and unfamiliar time. The film is produced by Walter Parkes and Lawrence Lasker, who first encountered Sacks's book as undergraduates at Yale University. Released on December 12, 1990, ''Awakenings'' was a criti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dramatists Play Service
Dramatists Play Service is a theatrical-publishing and licensing house imprint of Broadway Licensing Global. Established in 1936 by members of the Dramatists Guild of America and the Society for Authors' Representatives, DPS publishes English-language acting editions of plays and handles the licensing for professional and nonprofessional English-language productions of these plays in the United States, Canada, and throughout the world. DPS is based in New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ..., with affiliates in London, Australia, South Africa, India, Asia, and South America that serve DPS' interests in their respective regions. The DPS catalogue consists of over 3,300 titles from over 1,300 authors. Broadway Licensing Global acquired Dramatists Play Serv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that spanned more than 50 years. His best-known plays include ''The Birthday Party (play), The Birthday Party'' (1957), ''The Homecoming'' (1964) and ''Betrayal (play), Betrayal'' (1978), each of which he adapted for the screen. His screenplay adaptations of others' works include ''The Servant (1963 film), The Servant'' (1963), ''The Go-Between (1971 film), The Go-Between'' (1971), ''The French Lieutenant's Woman (film), The French Lieutenant's Woman'' (1981), ''The Trial (1993 film), The Trial'' (1993) and ''Sleuth (2007 film), Sleuth'' (2007). He also directed or acted in radio, stage, television and film productions of his own and others' works. Pinter was born and raised in Metropolitan Borough of Hackney, Ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Kind Of Alaska
''A Kind of Alaska'' is a one-act play written in 1982 by British playwright Harold Pinter. Summary A middle-aged woman named Deborah, who has been in a comatose state for thirty years as a result of contracting "sleepy sickness," encephalitis lethargica, awakes with a mind still that of a sixteen-year-old. She must confront a body which seems to have aged without her prior knowledge or consent. Her sister Pauline and Pauline's husband, Hornby, who has been Deborah's devoted doctor over these three decades and who may have fallen in love with her, attempt gently to ease her back to her current reality, while withholding some of the more jarring information. Deborah reawakens to a changed world, attempting to take what appear to her to be rather shocking revelations in graceful stride, but ends the play with the ironic observation about her sister and brother-in-law that can only go so far towards accepting the realities that they have allowed her to know. Speaking of Paulin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
