Freedley Award Winners, 1969-Present
The winners are listed here under the award presentation year.
2024
Michelle R. Scott, T.O.B.A. Time: Black Vaudeville and the Theater Owners’ Booking Association in Jazz-Age America, University of Illinois Press, 2023.
Special Jury Prizes:
Catherine Burroughs and J. Ellen Gainor, The Routledge Anthology of Women’s Theatre Theory and Dramatic Criticism, Routledge, 2023.
Beatriz Rizk, A History of Latinx Performing Arts in the U.S.: Volumes I & II, Routledge, 2023.
2023
Noémie Ndiaye, Scripts of Blackness: Early Modern Performance Culture and the Making of Race, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2022.
Special Jury Prize:
Isaac Butler, The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act, Bloomsbury, 2022.
2022
Katrina M. Phillips, Staging Indigeneity: Salvage Tourism and the Performance of Native American History, University of North Carolina Press, 2021.
Special Jury Prize:
Rashna Darius Nicholson, The Colonial Public and the Parsi Stage: The Making of the Theatre of Empire (1853-1893), Palgrave Macmillan, 2021.
2021
Marlis Schweitzer, Bloody Tyrants and Little Pickles: Stage Roles of Anglo-American Girls in the Nineteenth Century, University of Iowa Press, 2020.
Special Jury Prize:
Clifford Mason, Macbeth in Harlem: Black Theater in America from the Beginning to Raisin in the Sun, Rutgers University Press, 2020.
2020
Juliane Braun, Creole Drama: Theatre and Society in Antebellum New Orleans, University of Virginia Press, 2019.
Special Jury Prize:
Paul A. Scolieri, Ted Shawn: His Life, Writings, and Dances, Oxford University Press, 2019.
2019
Debra Caplan, Yiddish Empire: The Vilna Troupe, Jewish Theater, and the Art of Itinerancy. University of Michigan Press, 2018.
Special Jury Prize:
Kevin Winkler, Big Deal: Bob Fosse and Dance in the American Musical. Oxford University Press, 2018.
2018
Sarah E. Chinn, Spectacular Men: Race, Gender, and Nation on the Early American Stage. Oxford University Press, 2017.
Special Jury Prize:
Cindy Rosenthal, Ellen Stewart Presents: Fifty Years of La MaMa Experimental Theater. University of Michigan Press, 2017.
2017
Peter Benes, For a Short Time Only: Itinerants and the Resurgence of Popular Culture in Early America. University of Massachusetts Press, 2016.
Special Jury Prize:
Edna Nahshon, New York’s Yiddish Theater: From the Bowery to Broadway. Columbia University Press, 2016.
2016
Terry Alford, Fortune’s Fool: The Life of John Wilkes Booth. Oxford University Press, 2015.
Special Jury Prize:
Bernth Lindfors, Ira Aldridge. University of Rochester Press, 2015.
2015
Arnold Aronson. Ming Cho Lee: A Life in Design. Theatre Communications Group, 2014.
2014
Alisa Solomon. Wonder of Wonders: A Cultural History of Fiddler on the Roof. Metropolitan Books, 2013.
Special Jury Prize:
Sam Wasson. Fosse. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
2013
The TLA Book Awards were not presented in 2013.
2012
Jonathan Kalb. Great Lengths: Seven Works of Marathon Theatre. University of Michigan Press, 2011.
Special Jury Prize:
Steven Serafin (Editor). BAM: The Complete Works. Brooklyn Academy of Music in association with The Quantuck Lane Press, 2011.
2011
James Shapiro. Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare? Simon & Schuster, 2010.
Special Jury Prize:
Stephen Sondheim. Finishing the Hat: Collected Lyrics (1954-1981). Knopf, 2010.
2010
Andrew McConnell Stott. The Pantomime Life of Joseph Grimaldi: Laughter, Madness and the Story of Britain’s Greatest Comedian. Canongate, 2009.
Special Jury Prize:
Marc Robinson. The American Play: 1787-2000. Yale University Press, 2009.
2009
Jayna Brown. Babylon Girls: Black Women Performers and the Shaping of the Modern. Duke University Press, 2008.
2008
Felicia Hardison Londrè. The Enchanted Years of the Stage: Kansas City at the Crossroads of American Theater, 1870-1930. University of Missouri Press, 2007.
2007
Marvin Rosenberg. The Masks of Anthony and Cleopatra. University of Delaware Press, 2006.
Special Jury Prizes:
bruce d. mcclung. Lady in the Dark: Biography of a Musical. Oxford University Press, 2006.
Patrick Carnegy. Wagner and the Art of Theatre. Yale University Press, 2006.
2006
Kathryn Shevelow. Charlotte: Being a True Account of an Actress’s Flamboyant Adventures in Eighteenth-Century London’s Wild and Wicked Theatrical World. Henry Holt & Company, 2005.
Special Jury Prize:
Linda Ben-Zvi. Susan Glaspell: Her Life and Times. Oxford University Press, 2005.
2005
Rachel Shteir. Striptease: The Untold History of the Girlie Show. Oxford University Press, 2004.
Special Jury Prize:
Ken Bloom and Frank Vlastnik. Broadway Musicals: The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2004.
2004
Errol G. Hill and James V. Hatch. A History of African American Theatre. Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Special Jury Prize:
Ted Chapin. Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical ‘Follies’. Alfred A .Knopf, 2003.
2003
David Kaufman. Ridiculous!: The Theatrical Life and Times of Charles Ludlam. Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2002.
Special Jury Prize:
Dunbar H. Ogden. The Staging of Drama in the Medieval Church. University of Delaware Press, 2002.
2002
Meredith Chilton. Harlequin Unmasked: The Commedia Dell’Arte and Porcelain Sculpture. Yale University Press, 2001.
Honorable Mention:
Ron Jenkins. Dario Fo & Franca Rame: Artful Laughter. Aperture, 2001.
2001
Tracy C. Davis. The Economics of the British Stage, 1800-1914. Cambridge University Press, 2000.
Honorable Mention:
Laurence Senelick. The Changing Room: Sex, Drag, and Theatre. Routledge, 2000.
2000
Mel Gussow. Edward Albee: A Singular Journey, A Biography. Simon and Schuster, 1999.
Honorable Mention:
Al Hirschfeld. Hirschfeld on Line. Applause Books, 1999.
1999
Meryle Secrest. Stephen Sondheim: A Life. Knopf, 1998.
Honorable Mention:
Don B. Wilmeth and Christopher Bigsby (Editors). The Cambridge History of American Theatre: Volume One. Cambridge University Press, 1998.
1998
Gary Jay Williams. Our Moonlight Revels: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in the Theatre. University of Iowa Press, 1997.
Honorable Mention:
Michael A. Morrison. John Barrymore, Shakespearean Actor. Cambridge University Press, 1997.
1997
James Knowlson. Damned to Fame: The Life of Samuel Beckett. Simon & Schuster, 1996.
Honorable Mention:
Lys Symonette and Kim H. Kowalke (Editors). Speak Low (When You Speak Love): The Letters of Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya. University of California Press, 1996.
1996
Lyle Leverich. Tom: The Unknown Tennessee Williams. Crown, 1995.
Honorable Mention:
Claire Tomalin. Mrs. Jordan’s Profession: The Actress and the Prince. Knopf, 1995.
1995
Faye E. Dudden. Women and the American Theatre: Actresses and Audiences, 1790-1870. Yale University Press, 1994.
Honorable Mention:
Simon Trussler. The Cambridge Illustrated History of British Theatre. Cambridge University Press, 1994.
1994
Rachel M. Brownstein. Tragic Muse: Rachel of the Comédie-Française. Knopf, 1993.
Honorable Mention:
Dennis Kennedy. Looking at Shakespeare: A Visual History of Twentieth-Century Performance. Cambridge University Press, 1993.
1993
Marvin Rosenberg. The Masks of Hamlet. University of Delaware Press, 1992.
Honorable Mention:
Elizabeth Howe. The First English Actresses: Women and Drama 1660-1700. Cambridge University Press, 1992.
1992
Robert C. Allen. Horrible Prettiness: Burlesque and American Culture. University of North Carolina Press, 1991.
Honorable Mention:
Norris Houghton. Entrances and Exits: A Life In and Out of the Theatre. Limelight Editions, 1991.
1991
Virginia Scott. The Commedia dell ‘Arte in Paris, 1644-1697. The University Press of Virginia, 1990.
Honorable Mention:
Margot Peters. The House of Barrymore. Knopf, 1990.
1990
Martin Bauml Duberman. Paul Robeson: A Biography. Knopf, 1989.
Honorable Mention:
Marvin Carlson. Places of Performance: The Semiotics of Theatre Architecture. Cornell University Press, 1989.
1989
Laurence Senelick. The Age and Stage of George L. Fox. Tufts University Press, 1988.
Honorable Mention:
Richard Ellmann. Oscar Wilde. Knopf, 1988.
1988
Charles Shattuck. Shakespeare on the American Stage, Vol. II: From Booth and Barrett to Sothern and Marlowe. Folger Books, Associated University Press, 1987.
Honorable Mention:
Frank Rich and Lisa Aronson. The Theatre Art of Boris Aronson. Knopf, 1987.
1987
Mary C. Henderson. Theatre in America: Two Hundred Years of Plays, Players and Productions. Harry N. Abrams, 1986.
Honorable Mention:
Ricky Jay. Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women: Unique, Eccentric and Amazing Entertainers. Villard Books, 1986.
1986
Michael Meyer. Strindberg. Random House, 1985.
Honorable Mention:
Dennis Kennedy. Granville Barker and the Dream of Theatre. Cambridge University Press, 1985.
1985
Margot Peters. Mrs. Pat: The Life of Mrs. Patrick Campbell. Knopf, 1984.
Honorable Mention:
Ann Marie Koller. The Theatre Duke: George II of Saxe-Meininger and the German Stage. Stanford University Press, 1984.
1984
Martin Meisel. Realizations: Narrative Pictorial and Theatrical Arts in Nineteenth Century England. Princeton University Press, 1983.
1983
J. C. Furnas. Fanny Kemble: Leading Lady of the Nineteenth Century Stage. Dial, 1982.
Honorable Mention:
Laurence Senelick. Gordon Craig’s Moscow Hamlet: A Reconstruction. Greenwood Press, 1982.
1982
Margaret Brenman-Gibson. Clifford Odets: American Playwright, the Years from 1906 to 1940. Atheneum, 1981.
Honorable Mention:
Jonas Barish. The Anti-Theatrical Prejudice. University of California Press, 1981.
1981
Margot Peters. Bernard Shaw and the Actresses. Doubleday, 1980.
1980
George Winchester Stone Jr. and George M. Kahrl. David Garrick: A Critical Biography. Southern Illinois University Press, 1979.
Honorable Mention:
Malcolm Goldstein. George S. Kaufman: His Life, His Theatre. Oxford University Press, 1979.
1979
Richard Altick. The Shows of London. Belknap Press of Harvard University, 1978.
Special Citation:
Philip H. Highfill, Kalman A. Burnim, and Edward Langhans. Biographical Dictionary of Actors, Actresses, Musicians, Dancers, Managers, and Other Stage Personnel in London, 1660-1800. Southern Illinois University Press, 1978.
1978
George C. Izenour. Theatre Design. McGraw-Hill, 1977.
Honorable Mention:
Nahma Sandrow. Vagabond Stars: A World History of Yiddish Theatre. Harper & Row, 1977.
1977
Gerald Kahan. Jacques Callot: Artist of the Theatre. University of Georgia Press.
Honorable Mention:
Charles Shattuck. Shakespeare on the American Stage: From the Hallams to Edwin Booth. Folger Books, 1976.
1976
Donald Oenslager. Stage Design: Four Centuries of Scenic Invention. Viking Press, 1975.
1975
Robert C. Toll. Blacking Up: The Minstrel Show in Nineteenth-Century America. Oxford University Press, 1974.
Honorable Mention:
John Wharton. Life Among the Playwrights: Being Mostly the Story of the Playwrights Producing Company, Inc. Quadrangle/The New York Times Book Company, 1974.
1974
Stephen Orgel and Roy Strong. Inigo Jones: The Theatre of the Stuart Court. The University of California Press, 1973.
Honorable Mention:
Richard Leacroft. The Development of the English Playhouse. Cornell University Press, 1973.
Honorable Mention:
Louis Sheaffer. O’Neill, Son and Artist. Little, Brown, 1973.
1973
John Houseman. Run-Through: A Memoir. Simon and Schuster, 1972.
Honorable Mention:
Marvin Rosenberg. The Masks of King Lear. University of California Press, 1972.
1972
James M. Symons. Meyerhold’s Theatre of the Grotesque: The Post Revolutionary Productions, 1920-1932. University of Miami Press, 1971.
Honorable Mention:
Stanley Weintraub. Journey to Heartbreak: The Crucible Years of Bernard Shaw, 1914-1918. Weybright and Talley, 1971.
1971
Brooks Atkinson. Broadway. Macmillan, 1970.
Honorable Mention:
Joseph Leach. Bright Particular Star: The Life and Times of Charlotte Cushman. Yale University Press, 1970.
1970
Charles Shattuck. The Hamlet of Edwin Booth. University of Illinois Press, 1969.
1969
Louis Sheaffer. O’Neill, Son and Playwright. Little, Brown, 1968.
Honorable Mention:
Edward Craig. Gordon Craig: The Story of His Life. Knopf, 1968.
Walter Volbach. Adolphe Appia, Prophet of the Modern Theatre. Wesleyan University Press, 1968.