Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. Sondheim, Stephen.

Description

1. 8 sound discs (ca. 504 min.) : digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

1. (Discs one through eight, ca. 60 min. ea.) An extended discussion, taped over several days, between Jerome Robbins and Stephen Sondheim concerning the experimental theater work, The exception and the rule, also known as A pray by Blecht. Robbins and Sondheim discuss, among other things, racial injustice in the U.S. and the role of liberal whites, the intention of the work, the characterization, dialogue and musical numbers; the various scenes, especially the trial scene and the scenes within the television studio; the script in comparison with the original Brecht script. Recordings include anecdotal comments and banter between Robbins and Sondheim, lengthy pauses and extraneous noise.

Donor/Sponsor

1. Oral History Archive.

Series statement

1. Jerome Robbins Collection

Subject

1. Audiotapes > Sondheim, S
2. Experimental theater > New York (State) > New York
3. Artistic collaboration
4. Audiotapes > Robbins, J
5. Theater > New York (State) > New York > Production and direction

Call number

1. *MGZTL 4-3115 JRC

Note

1. Recorded Aug. 31 through Sept. 2, 1968, probably at Jerome Robbins' New York, N.Y. residence.

Access (note)

1. Permission required.

Funding (note)

1. Preservation made possible in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biography (note)

1. The exception and the rule, also known as A pray by Blecht, is a musical adaptation, conceived by Jerome Robbins, of the original work by Bertolt Brecht. Leonard Bernstein, John Guare and Stephen Sondheim collaborated with Robbins on the project. A play within a play that takes place in a television studio, the plot features two rival groups of oil merchants racing through the desert and the relationship between one of the oilmen and his coolie, juxtaposed with black and white race relations. The show was scheduled for the Broadhurst Theater in Feb. 1969 but never opened. It was restaged in a workshop in 1987, retitled Race to Urga. Additional materials relating to these productions can be found in the Jerome Robbins Papers at the New York Public Library.

Author

1. Robbins, Jerome.

Title

1. The exception and the rule [sound recording] : working discussion between Jerome Robbins and Stephen Sondheim.

Imprint

1. 1968.

Series

1. Jerome Robbins Collection

Access

1. Permission required.

Funding

1. Preservation made possible in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biography

1. The exception and the rule, also known as A pray by Blecht, is a musical adaptation, conceived by Jerome Robbins, of the original work by Bertolt Brecht. Leonard Bernstein, John Guare and Stephen Sondheim collaborated with Robbins on the project. A play within a play that takes place in a television studio, the plot features two rival groups of oil merchants racing through the desert and the relationship between one of the oilmen and his coolie, juxtaposed with black and white race relations. The show was scheduled for the Broadhurst Theater in Feb. 1969 but never opened. It was restaged in a workshop in 1987, retitled Race to Urga. Additional materials relating to these productions can be found in the Jerome Robbins Papers at the New York Public Library.

Local note

1. Archive original: *MGZTO 7-3115 JRC
2. Preservation master: *MGZTP 10-3115 JRC
3. Dubbing master: *MGZTD 4-3115 JRC

Local subject

1. Audiotapes -- Robbins, J.
2. Audiotapes -- Sondheim, S.

Added author

1. Sondheim, Stephen.

Research call number

1. *MGZTL 4-3115 JRC