Ages of Man (play)
Encyclopedia
Ages of Man is a one-man show performed by John Gielgud
featuring a collection of speeches in Shakespeare's plays. Based on an anthology edited by Oxford
professor George Rylands in 1939 that organized the speeches to show the journey of life from birth to death, the show takes its title from Jaques
' "Ages of Man" speech from As You Like It
("All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players..."). Like the book, the show was divided into three parts: Youth, Manhood and Old Age.
Gielgud
was inspired to do a Shakespeare recital by his great-aunt, actress Ellen Terry
, who performed her own recital titled Shakespeare's Heroines. Gielgud
first attempted such a recital during World War II, when he would perform a collection of speeches he called Shakespeare in Peace and War, culminating in the "Once More Unto the Breach" speech from Henry V
.
Gielgud
gave the first experimental performance of Ages of Man in a house in St. James Square in London. It premiered at the Freemason's Hall at the 1957 Edinburgh
Festival to a sold-out house and an overwhelming success. Gielgud
would go on to perform the recital for the next ten years all over the world, winning a special Tony Award
for the 1959 Broadway engagement (where it was revived in 1963), an Emmy Award
for producer David Susskind
for Outstanding Dramatic Program - Single Program for its 1966 telecast on CBS
, and a 1979 Grammy Award for Gielgud's
third audio recording of the recital, having been nominated for the same award for the versions made in 1959 and 1964.
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
featuring a collection of speeches in Shakespeare's plays. Based on an anthology edited by Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
professor George Rylands in 1939 that organized the speeches to show the journey of life from birth to death, the show takes its title from Jaques
Jaques
Jaques is a common name, a variant of Jacques.It can refer to:* Jaques of London, a British game manufacturing company* Jaques, a character in Shakespeare's As You Like It...
' "Ages of Man" speech from As You Like It
As You Like It
As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
("All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players..."). Like the book, the show was divided into three parts: Youth, Manhood and Old Age.
Gielgud
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
was inspired to do a Shakespeare recital by his great-aunt, actress Ellen Terry
Ellen Terry
Dame Ellen Terry, GBE was an English stage actress who became the leading Shakespearean actress in Britain. Among the members of her famous family is her great nephew, John Gielgud....
, who performed her own recital titled Shakespeare's Heroines. Gielgud
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
first attempted such a recital during World War II, when he would perform a collection of speeches he called Shakespeare in Peace and War, culminating in the "Once More Unto the Breach" speech from Henry V
Henry V (play)
Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth and The Life of Henry the Fifth...
.
Gielgud
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
gave the first experimental performance of Ages of Man in a house in St. James Square in London. It premiered at the Freemason's Hall at the 1957 Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
Festival to a sold-out house and an overwhelming success. Gielgud
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
would go on to perform the recital for the next ten years all over the world, winning a special Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for the 1959 Broadway engagement (where it was revived in 1963), an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for producer David Susskind
David Susskind
David Susskind was a producer of TV, movies, and stage plays and also a pioneer TV talk show host.-Personal:...
for Outstanding Dramatic Program - Single Program for its 1966 telecast on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, and a 1979 Grammy Award for Gielgud's
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
third audio recording of the recital, having been nominated for the same award for the versions made in 1959 and 1964.