Dorothy Lamour’s Life as a phrase book, by The Wayzgoose Press
A work of great creativity inspired by Hollywood heroines of the 30’s and 40’s
(Wayzgoose Press) Dorothy Lamour’s life as a phrase book. By Noëlle Janaczewska. Introduction by the author. Katoomba. Australia. 2006. Bound as a concertina, the book consists of 11 triple-gate pages, folded to approx. 17” x 12”; opened each page measures approx. 24” x 17”.This typographic rendition of Noëlle Janaczewska’s play was conceived,designed and illustrated with multi-colored linocuts by Mike Hudson. Hand set in a variety of types by Jadwiga Jarvis. The book was printed in numerous colors with further illuminations by hand on some pages making each copy in the edition unique. Hand printed letterpress on Magnani Incisioni 220 gsm on a Western proof press, the book is contained in a brightly patterned cloth-covered box with the title printed on a recessed label and a purple ribbon tie. An edition of 30 numbered copies, signed by the poet, Jarvis and Hudson. Numbers I-V are not for sale. Of the remaining 25 copies, three are in designer bindings. Fine.
“Noëlle Janaczewska is an award-winning Sydney based playwright whose work has been staged locally and internationally, as well as broadcast on radio. Her play, Dorothy Lamour’s life as a phrase book, is the third in a series of monologues inspired by Hollywood heroines of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, and was written for a solo performer. In it, the ‘glamour girl’ made famous by her ‘road movies’ in which she co-starred with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, finds herself in a poem instead of a movie and marooned in a dingy Sydney hotel. However, as Janaczewska’s characters do not conform to the romantic air-head type assigned to them in their films, Dorothy’s miscasting leads to much reflection and soul-searching.
“In order to maintain the spirit of a performance, we have given the book a theatrical setting; the hotel room, which appears on every one of the 11 gate-fold pages, is its ‘stage’. Onto this stage various scenarios (suggested by the text,but not a literal depiction thereof) are introduced. We aimed for the contradictions, confusions and contrasts, for the elusive and enigmatic, the tangential and bizarre. The ‘props’ range between curious and surreal, and include a chessboard, a maze, a giant pineapple, a clapperboard, and an overweight Ronald McDonald. (Oh yes, there is also Dorothy’s trademark hibiscus.) The introduction and colophon pages feature the same room/stage, but on these the set is empty and shown as if unlit, alluding to the characteristic hiatus of a theatrical presentation both before curtain-up and after the final curtain.” – Prospectus.
A tour de force.
Related items: Fine Printing & Private Press, Structure, Typography, Dorothy Lamour, Jadwiga Jarvis, Wayzgoose Press