cover image Actress to Actress

Actress to Actress

Rita Gam. N. Lyons, $17.95 (193pp) ISBN 978-0-941130-23-3

Gam's debut as a writer is graced with the sharp mind and humor she has displayed in her acting. The book results from a quest to discover the person behind the persona of her female colleaguesa quest, as she explains, motivated by the death of her friend Grace Kelly, who emerges here as unaffectedly charming and dedicated to her acting craft. Gam traveled around the world to interview these selected actresses, each, she concludes, distinguished by the ""light'' they radiate. Speaking eloquently about their lives and careers, the women have in common a love of acting. There are forthright expressions from Eva Le Gallienne, Jessica Tandy, Dame Wendy Hiller, Dame Judith Anderson and younger stars Geraldine Page and Joanne Woodward, among the more than 25 actresses interviewed. Gam reports as well on promising newcomers, making up an entertaining and informative book about an elite sisterhood. Photos not seen by PW. (November 1)