Noël Coward: Design for Living

News

Monday, February 24, 2020
6:30 p.m.
The English-Speaking Union
144 East 39th Street,New York City

Join us for an engaging illustrated talk on Noël Coward, inspired by the exhibition Coward: Art & Style, which will open at London's Guildhall Art Gallery in July 2020. In Noël Coward: Design for Living, Brad Rosenstein explores the central role of design in Coward's life and work. The pre-eminent British playwright and songwriter, renowned for his verbal wit, was also visually acute, seeking out the finest artists and designers of his time to craft the sets and costumes for his original productions, the décor of his homes, and his iconic personal style. Rosenstein's rich presentation interweaves images, audio, and video with lively and insightful commentary on Coward's collaborations with a gallery of brilliant talents, from designers Cecil Beaton, Oliver Messel, Gladys Calthrop, and Doris Zinkeisen to couturiers Edward Molyneux and Norman Hartnell and decorator Syrie Maugham. The result is a fresh and unique glimpse into Coward's personal and theatrical world.

Brad Rosenstein is the Program Producer for the Presidio Trust in San Francisco and an independent curator, speaker, and writer. For ten years he was the curator of exhibitions and programs at the Museum of Performance & Design, where he organized more than sixty exhibitions on performing arts subjects. His exhibition Star Quality: The World of Noël Coward at New York's Lincoln Center was the most highly-attended in the Center's history, which he previously mounted in San Francisco and Los Angeles.  He recently curated The Noël Coward Room in London. Brad is currently curating the new exhibition on Coward: Art & Style, which will open at London's Guildhall Art Gallery in July 2020.  His preparation for that exhibit is the inspiration for this talk.  

$15 for ESU National Patrons
$25 for ESU, Royal Oak and Noel Coward Members
$30 for Non-members

ESU National Patrons are invited to enjoy a private champagne reception with Mr. Rosenstein in the Executive Director's office at 6 p.m.

Register by mail or online at: https://www.esuus.org/newyork/about/Coward

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