| BRUCE SMITH
Bruce Smith was educated in his god-father’s humanist institution, Chicago’s Newberry LIbrary, were he ‘read’ his education from age 12 to 16. He was then sent to California to sink or swim among the ex-patriot artists living there at the time: Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester; Aldous Huxley; Anna Mahler; Christopher Isherwood; Vera and Igor Stravinsky. He had a high old time of it, but had then to earn his living, first at the Chicago Historical Society.
His second area of interest being business, he was offered, at an early age, the feature editorship of one leading international business journal and then the full editorship of another. Ten years on, he formed Matchpoint Communications, a public relations firm dedicated to major artists and influential figures upon the world’s stage. Among his clients were Pope John Paul 11; Tennessee Williams; Lyric Opera of Chicago; The Royal Opera House (the restoration project with HRH Princess Margaret); the Chicago International Film Festival and the only restaurant he really loved, Nancy Goldberg’s Maxim’s de Paris. It was Tennessee Williams, at his 69th birthday dinner at Maxim’s, who suggested to Bruce that it was time to jettison the faux glamour of his current career and start writing. Bruce Smith’s first published work was a book of memoirs about his friend Williams, Costly Performances/Tennessee Williams: The Last Stage. This is now a screenplay awaiting production.
Bruce Smith’s works for the stage include: Papal Gore; City River, Night View;In Bed with the Baptist and Skull, his current work in progress.
Bruce Smith, Director
Prometheon-Bydand Strategies
Suite 817
5815 N. Sheridan Road
Chicago, IL
60660 (312) 989-1595
Bruce Smith came into my life through his extraordinary book COSTLY PERFORMANCES: Tennessee Williams – The Last Stage. While researching my play ROMAN NIGHTS I attempted to read, quite literally, everything by and about Williams; what I lacked, of course, was a true personal account that captured Tennessee Williams’ authentic voice and personality in and outside the world of theater. While Bruce’s memoir covers years not addressed in my play, I felt compelled to read it after just the first few sentences…(buy it and you will know what I mean!) --and what I discovered whilst reading his enthralling and deeply moving book was nothing less than the real voice of Tennessee; the man and the artist.
Bruce Smith is an artist of the highest order. His extensive knowledge of art and literature is staggering and inspiring; his is a dying breed, one entrenched in the classics and steeped in history and philosophy. In a world that seems to be ever dimming, I eagerly look forward to our lengthy conversations, whether through letters or phone calls, as they serve as intellectual buoys; life rafts for the soul to which we both can cling during this turbulent time upon this murky sea which we find ourselves forced to survive. Recently, I have had the honor to read some of his new works, such as PAPAL GORE, and his dramatic works are simply magnificent; full of bravura and intelligence. Bruce is a true Scotsman, a Celt of the first order! And we are bonded in many ways: our passion for words; our respect for art and literature; our fiery dispositions; our inability to suffer fools. Bruce is now thanked in the dedication in ROMAN NIGHTS; over the years, since our introduction in 2002, he and I have endured much together and true and profound friendship has been forged, for which I am immensely grateful.
Visit www.costlyperformances.com
Soon he will launch www.promethean-bydand.com - a website dedicated to his unique and daring projects for print, stage and film.
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